Urinary cytology is a useful, essential diagnostic method in routine urological clinical practice. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) for urothelial carcinoma screening is commonly used in the routine clinical cytodiagnosis because of its high cell collection rate. Since conventional screening processes by cytoscreeners and cytopathologists using microscopes is limited in terms of human resources, it is important to integrate new deep learning methods that can automatically and rapidly diagnose a large amount of specimens without delay. The goal of this study was to investigate the use of deep learning models for the classification of urine LBC whole-slide images (WSIs) into neoplastic and non-neoplastic (negative). We trained deep learning models using 786 WSIs by transfer learning, fully supervised, and weakly supervised learning approaches. We evaluated the trained models on two test sets (equal and clinical balance) with a combined total of 750 WSIs, achieving ROC-AUCs for WSI diagnosis in the range of 0.984-0.990 by the best model, demonstrating the promising potential use of our model for aiding urine cytodiagnostic processes.

Recent results have shown that the human malaria-resistant hemoglobin S mutation originates de novo more frequently in the gene and in the population where it is of adaptive significance, namely, in the hemoglobin subunit beta gene compared to the non-resistant but otherwise identical 20A>T mutation in the hemoglobin subunit delta gene, and in sub-Saharan Africans, who have been subject to intense malarial pressure for many generations, compared to Northern Europeans, who have not. This finding raises a fundamental challenge to the traditional notion of accidental mutation. Here we address this finding with the replacement hypothesis, according to which pre-existing genetic interactions can lead directly and mechanistically to mutations that simplify and replace them. Thus, a gradual evolutionary process under selection can hone in on interactions of importance for the currently evolving adaptations, from which large-effect mutations follow that are relevant to these adaptations. We exemplify this hypothesis using multiple types of mutation, including gene fusion mutations, gene duplication mutations, A>G mutations in RNA-edited sites and transcription-associated mutations, and place it in the broader context of a system-level view of mutation origination called Interaction-based Evolution. Potential consequences include that similarity of mutation pressures may contribute to parallel evolution in genetically related species, that the evolution of genome organization may be driven by mutational mechanisms, that transposable element movements may also be explained by replacement, and that long-term directional mutational responses to specific environmental pressures are possible. Such responses need to be further tested by future studies in natural and artificial settings.

The computer network world is changing and the NetDevOps approach has brought the dynamics of applications and systems into the field of communication infrastructure. Businesses are changing and businesses are faced with difficulties related to the diversity of hardware and software that make up those infrastructures. The "Intent-Based Networking - Concepts and Definitions" document describes the different parts of the ecosystem that could be involved in NetDevOps. The recognize, generate intent, translate and refine features need a new way to implement algorithms. This is where artificial intelligence comes in.

Abstract Issue Addressed: Men’s Sheds (‘Sheds’) have been identified as inherently health promoting and as potential settings to engage ‘hard-to-reach’ men in more structured health promotion initiatives. However, little is known about the sociodemographic or health and wellbeing characteristics of Shed members (‘Shedders’) on which such initiatives might be based. This study captures a baseline cross sectional analysis of Shedders (n=384) who participated in ‘Sheds for Life’, a health promotion initiative tailored to Sheds. Methods: Objective health measure, (body composition, blood pressure, blood lipids) captured via health screening as well as sociodemographic and health and wellbeing measures (physical activity, subjective wellbeing, mental health, social capital, cooking and diet) via questionnaires were assessed. Results: Participants were mostly over 65 years, retired with limited educational attainment. The majority were in the ‘at-risk’ categories for objective health measures, with most being referred to their GP following health screening. Older Shedders were also more likely to meet physical activity guidelines. Mental wellbeing was positively correlated with life satisfaction and increased social capital and these were also positively correlated with physical activity. Conclusions: Findings highlight the potential of Sheds in reaching a ‘hard-to-reach’ and ‘at-risk’ cohort of men. Despite a high prevalence of ‘at-risk’ objective health measures, participants report their health in positive terms. Future health promotion initiatives should capitalise on the inherent health promoting properties of Sheds. So what? Findings raise important implications for prioritising and designing health promotion initiatives in Shed settings.

Manual visual inspections typically conducted after an earthquake are high-risk, subjective, and time-consuming. Delays from inspections often exacerbate the social and economic impact of the disaster on affected communities. Rapid and autonomous inspection using images acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles offer the potential to reduce such delays. Indeed, a vast amount of re-search has been conducted toward developing automated vision-based methods to assess the health of infrastructure at the component and structure level. Most proposed methods typically rely on images of the damaged structure, but seldom consider how the images were acquired. To achieve autonomous inspections, methods must be evaluated in a comprehensive end-to-end manner, incorporating both data acquisition and data processing. In this paper, we leverage recent advances in computer generated imagery (CGI) to construct a 3D synthetic environment for simulation of post-earthquake inspections that allows for comprehensive evaluation and valida-tion of autonomous inspection strategies. A critical issue is how to simulate and subsequently render the damage in the structure after an earthquake. To this end, a high-fidelity nonlinear finite element model is incorporated in the synthetic environment to provide a representation of earthquake-induced damage; this finite element model, combined with photo-realistic rendering of the damage, is termed herein a physics-based graphics models (PBGM). The 3D synthetic en-vironment with PBGMs provide a comprehensive end-to-end approach for development and validation of autonomous post-earthquake strategies using UAVs, including: (i) simulation of path planning of virtual UAVs and image capture under different environmental conditions; (ii) au-tomatic labeling of captured images, potentially providing an infinite amount of data for training deep neural networks; (iii) availability of the ground truth damage state from the results of the finite-element simulation; and (iv) direct comparison of different approaches to autonomous as-sessments. Moreover, the synthetic data generated has the potential to be used to augment field datasets. To demonstrate the efficacy of PBGMs, models of reinforced concrete moment-frame buildings with masonry infill walls are examined. The 3D synthetic environment employing PBGMs is shown to provide an effective testbed for development and validation of autonomous vision-based post-earthquake inspections that can serve as an important building block for ad-vancing autonomous data to decision frameworks.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health threat globally, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Both human and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTBC) genetic variation affect TB outcomes, but few studies have examined if and how the two genomes interact to affect disease. We hypothesize that long-term coexistence between human genomes and MTBC lineages modulate disease to affect its severity. We examined this hypothesis in our TB household contact study in Kampala, Uganda, in which we identified 3 MTBC lineages of which one, L4.6-Uganda, is clearly derived and hence recent. We quantified TB severity using the Bandim TBscore and examined the interaction between MTBC lineage and human single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genome-wide, in two independent cohorts of TB cases (N=149 and N=127). We found a significant interaction between a SNP in PPIAP2 and the Uganda lineage (combined p=4x10-8). PPIAP2 is a pseudogene that is highly expressed in immune cells. Pathway and eQTL analyses indicated potential roles between coevolving SNPs and cellular replication and metabolism as well as platelet aggregation and coagulation. This finding provides further evidence that host-pathogen interactions affect clinical presentation differently than host and pathogen genetic variation independently, and that human-MTBC coevolution is likely to explain patterns of disease severity.

In March 2020, several mass gathering events were related to the Falles festival in Borriana (Spain), resulting in a 536 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases outbreak among participants. Our objective was to estimate anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies persistence six months after and factors associated with antibody response. A prospective population-based cohort study was carried out by the Public Health Center of Castellon and the Emergency and Clinical Analysis and Microbiology Services of Hospital de la Plana in Vila-real. In October 2020, sero-epidemiologic study to estimate the persistence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies by a electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) was implemented. We enrolled 484 (90.2%) of the 536 members of the initial outbreak cohort and detected persistent antibodies in 479 (99%) without re-infection episodes. Five participants had a negative antibody test. Factors associated with a negative result were a lower body mass index (BMI), and less contact with other COVID-19 cases. Among the 469 participants with two ECLIA tests, 96 (20.5%) had an increase of antibodies and 373 (79.5%) a decline. Increased antibodies were associated with older age, higher BMI, more severe illness, and low current smokers. After a COVID-19 infection, a high proportion of cases maintained detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

High costs for the repair of concrete structures can be prevented if damage at an early stage of degradation is detected and precautionary maintenance measures are applied. To this end, we use numerical wave propagation simulations to identify simulated damage in concrete using convolutional neural networks (CNN). Damage in concrete subjected to compression is modeled at the mesoscale using the discrete element method. Ultrasonic wave propagation simulation on the damaged concrete specimens are performed using the rotated staggered finite-difference grid method. The simulated ultrasonic signals are used to train a CNN based classifier capable of classifying three different damage stages (microcrack initiation, microcrack growth and microcrack coalescence leading to macrocracks). The performance of the classifier is improved by refining the dataset via an analysis of the averaged envelope of the signal. The classifier using the refined dataset has an overall accuracy of 90%.

Offshore wind farms are increasingly built in the North Sea and the number of HVDC systems transmitting the wind power to shore increases as well. To connect offshore wind farms to adjacent AC transmission systems, onshore and offshore modular multilevel converters transform the transmitted power from AC to DC and vice versa. Besides, modern wind farms mainly use wind turbines connected to the offshore point of common coupling via voltage source converters. However, converters and their control systems can cause unwanted interactions, referred to as converter-driven stability problems. The resulting instabilities can be predicted by applying an impedance-based analysis in the frequency domain. Considering that the converter models and system data are often confidential and cannot be exchanged in real systems, this paper proposes an enhanced impedance measurement method suitable for black-box applications to investigate the interactions. The proposed method is applied to assess an offshore HVDC system’s converter-driven stability, using impedance measurements of laboratory converters and a wind turbine converter controller replica. The results show that the onshore modular multilevel converter’s interactions with AC grids of moderate short-circuit ratios can lead to instabilities. The offshore system analysis reveals that considering the offshore grid topology is crucial for assessing interactions between the wind turbine controllers and the offshore modular multilevel converter. It is shown that different stability margins result from varying offshore grid layouts.

Instead of tissue-based detection, blood-based tumor mutation burden (bTMB) is becoming an alternative promising alternate to predict the response of immune checkpoint inhibitor in cancers, especially non-small-cell lung cancer. Although bTMB is more convenient and less invasive, many evidences identified its limited predictive ability and less accurate discrimination of candidates to receive immunotherapy. Several ways of adjustments have been applied to improve the clinical usefulness of bTMB, such as setting restriction for threshold of allele frequency to exclude some unwanted mutations. But many questions remained to be explored such as the number and the type of mutations that should be incorporated into the bTMB estimation. This viewpoint summarized the current attempts to modify bTMB and provided granular aspects that have implications for further enhancement of bTMB’s predictive capability.

This article describes techniques employed in the production of a synthetic dataset of driver telematics emulated from a similar real insurance dataset. The synthetic dataset generated has 100,000 policies that included observations about driver’s claims experience together with associated classical risk variables and telematics-related variables. This work is aimed to produce a resource that can be used to advance models to assess risks for usage-based insurance. It follows a three-stage process using machine learning algorithms. The first stage is simulating values for the number of claims as multiple binary classifications applying feedforward neural networks. The second stage is simulating values for aggregated amount of claims as regression using feedforward neural networks, with number of claims included in the set of feature variables. In the final stage, a synthetic portfolio of the space of feature variables is generated applying an extended SMOTE algorithm. The resulting dataset is evaluated by comparing the synthetic and real datasets when Poisson and gamma regression models are fitted to the respective data. Other visualization and data summarization produce remarkable similar statistics between the two datasets. We hope that researchers interested in obtaining telematics datasets to calibrate models or learning algorithms will find our work valuable.

Although traditional automotive development has mainly focused on functional safety, as the number of automotive hacking cases has increased due to the growing Internet connectivity of automotive control systems, security is also becoming more important. Accordingly, various international organizations are preparing cybersecurity regulations or standards to ensure security in automotive development by emphasizing the concept of security-by-design(i.e. security engineering) which emphasizes trustworthiness from the beginning of development. The problem, however, is that no specific methodology has been suggested. In this paper, we propose a specific security-by-design methodology for automotive development based on Secure System Development Life Cycle (secure SDLC) standards and evidence-based standards. Our methodology could be easily used in the actual field as it is more general and detailed than existing secure SDLC standards and research. Also, since it satisfies all requirements of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulation, automobile manufacturers could respond to the upcoming cybersecurity regulation with our methodology.

Green Infrastructure promotes the use of natural functions and processes as potential solutions to reduce negative effects derived from anthropocentric interventions such as urbanization. In cities of Latin America, for example, the need for more nature-sound infrastructure is evident due to its degree of urbanization and degradation of ecosystems, as well as the alteration of the local water cycle. In this study, an experimental approach for implementation of a prototype is presented. The experiment took place in a highly urbanized watershed located in the Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica. Initially, understanding the characteristics of the study area at different scales was achieved by applying the Urban Water System Transition Framework to identify the existing level of development of the urban water infrastructure, and potential future stages. Subsequently, preferences related to spatial locations and technologies were identified from different local decision-makers. Those insights were adopted to identify a potential area for implementation of the prototype. The experiment consisted on an adaptation of the local sewer to act as a temporal reservoir to reduce the effects derived from rapid generation of stormwater runoff. Unexpected events, not considered initially in the design, are reported in this study as a means to identify necessary adaptations of the methodology. Our study shows from an experimental learning-experience that the relation between different actors advocating for such technologies influences the implementation and operation of non-conventional technologies. Furthermore, the perception of security associated to green spaces was found as a key driver to increase the willingness of residents to modify their urban environments. In consequence, those aspects should be carefully considered as factors of designs of engineering elements when they are related to complex socio-ecological urban systems.

As part of the efforts to reduce the environmental impacts caused by the aviation sector, the use of bio-based instead of fossil-based materials has been assessed as a possible mitigation option. Natural Fibre Polymer Composites have proven to have a higher environmental performance in the automotive sector and are emerging as an option for weight reduction in aircraft. This study quantifies, though Life Cycle Assessment, the environmental performance of specific flax-based composite panels intended for aircrafts as interior fitting elements (i.e. partition panels, tray tables, baggage compartments) compared to a glass fibre/epoxy composite with a honeycomb core. Through system expansion, the fate of co-products issued from the production of the flax fibre technical textile used as reinforcement in the biocomposite material were considered in the assessment. Results showed that for an application in the aeronautics sector, the weight of the panels is the upmost critical parameter shaping the overall environmental performance of panels. Focusing on the panel production only, the biocomposite panel showed a higher environmental performance in the categories of climate change and marine eutrophication compared to the conventional panel, and the fire suppressant agent was identified as the main contributor to the environmental impacts of the bio-based panel. Yet these gains were negligible when considering the full life cycle of the panels, due to the higher weight (14%) of the bio-based panels; which is linked to the bio-based panel being at a prototype stage.In order to improve the environmental performance of the biocomposite panel and thus reduce its weight, it was shown relevant to optimize geometry of the panel itself, especially its core, so less resin could be used.

In this paper, we introduce a non-invasive approach for monitoring bridge infrastructure with ground-based interferometric radar. This approach is called the mirror mode, since it utilises the flat surface of the bridge underside as a mirror to reflect the signal to a corner reflector on the ground placed opposite of the radar sensor. For proving the feasibility of this approach, a measurement campaign has been carried out at an exemplary bridge in Karlsruhe (Germany) including a radar sensor in mirror mode, a second radar sensor in the default mode and a laser profile scanner. We investigate the potential of this approach to monitor the bridge displacement in vertical direction and compare the results with the two other sensors. The derived results reveal the potential for monitoring bridge infrastructure. Finally, we propose further research aspects of this approach to analyse its capabilities and limitation in the context of non-invasive infrastructure monitoring.

Streptococcus mutans is well known for having virulence factors associated with its cariogenic role, such as glucosyltransferases, which have been used as targets for the virtual screening of molecules with inhibitory capacity. The Antigen I/II of S. mutans is involved in the adhesion to the surface of the tooth and the bacterial co-aggregation in the biofilm formation, despite that, this protein has not been used as a target in a virtual strategy search for inhibitors. In this study we identified in silico and evaluated in vitro molecules with adhesion inhibitory potential on S. mutans Ag I/II. A virtual screening of 883,551 molecules was conducted, cytotoxicity analysis on fibroblast cells, S. mutans adhesion studies, scanning electron microscopy analysis for bacterial integrity, and molecular dynamics simulation were also performed. We have found three molecules (ZI-187, ZI-939, ZI-906) that were not cytotoxic and inhibited the adhesion of S. mutans to polystyrene microplates. Molecular dynamic simulation by 300 nanoseconds showed stability of the interaction between ZI-187 and Ag I/II (PDB: 3IPK). This work provides three new molecules that targets Ag I/II and have the capacity to inhibit in vitro the S. mutans adhesion on polystyrene microplates and provides a new computational line for the search and selection of safe inhibitory molecules against different pathogens.

In this paper, the stability control of the inverted pendulum on a cart with a disturbance forces has been done using observer based and full state feedback H2 controllers. The Lagrangian equation has been used to model the system equation of motions and linearized the system to the unstable upward position. Comparison of the system stability has been simulated by comparing the proposed controllers using Matlab/Scripts and a promising results has been analyzed successfully.

Inclusions in steels and alloys are known as factors that could lower deformation, mechanical, corrosion and other properties. Study of inclusions in nickel based alloys is important since these materials could suffer from corrosion degradation in harsh operational conditions, where inclusions could lead to a pitting initiation. For estimation of a harmful effect of different inclusions on corrosion resistance of Ni-based alloys, inclusion characteristics (such as composition, morphology, size, number and location) on film filter and dissolution of metal matrix around different inclusions on surfaces of metal samples after electrolytic extraction (EE) were investigated in two samples of industrial Ni-based alloys (alloy 718 and EP718). It was found that both Ni-based alloys have various inclusions: carbides (large size NbTi-C and small multicomponent carbides), nitrides TiNb-N and sulfides (TiNb-S in EP718 alloy). The higher harmful effect on corrosion resistance of metal was detected around sulfides and small carbides containing Mo, W, Cr. Dissolution effect was also observed around large carbides and nitrides, especially around inclusions having size more than 10 µm. Moreover, the dissolution of metal matrix around inclusions and clusters located on the grain boundaries is 2.1-2.7 times larger compared to that for those inclusions inside of grains of the given alloy samples.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many knowledge gaps with implications toward the speed and nature of our response to contain, assess and mitigate risk. The routine discharge of treated and untreated wastewater into rivers and coastal waters has placed SARS-CoV-2 viability in wastewater at the centre of an emerging hazard and potential risk to water industry workers and the public who come into contact with sewage-impacted water. Here we provide a review of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus primary literature that presents the evidence base pertaining to the key questions of whether the SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 is shed in stool and urine, is recoverable, and infectious in wastewater. We discuss the challenges posed by the current literature base and the extent to which the current evidence is fit for the purpose of informing robust human and environmental risk assessments.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) was first described in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China; and produced by a novel coronavirus designed as the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Covid-19 has become a pandemic reaching over 1.3 million confirmed cases and 73,000 deaths. Several efforts have been done to identify pharmacological agents that can be used to treat patients and protect healthcare professionals. The sequencing of the virus genome not only has offered the possibility to develop a vaccine, but also to identified and characterize the virus proteins. Among these proteins, main protease (M^pro) has been identified as a potential therapeutic target, since it is essential for the processing other viral proteins. Crystal structures of SARS-CoV-2 M^pro and inhibitors has been described during the last months. To describe additional compounds that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 M^pro, in this study we performed a molecular docking-based virtual screening against a library of experimental and approved drugs. Top 10 hits included Pictilisib, Nimorazole, Ergoloid mesylates, Lumacaftor, Cefuroxime, Cepharanhine, and Nilotinib. These compounds were predicted to have higher binding affinity for SARS-CoV-2 M^pro than previously reported inhibitors for this protein, suggesting a higher potential to inhibit virus replication. Since the identified drugs have both pre-clinical and clinical information, we consider that these results may contribute to the identification of treatment alternative for Covid-19. Nevertheless, in vitro and in vivo confirmation should be performed before these compounds could be translated to the clinic.

Virus-infected Flu is a common disease. To date, no specific drugs are available to manage the symptoms of cough, headache and sputum production. An alternative Chinese herb medicine is introduced for virus-infected Flu or similar infection. Before hospitalization, some of patients may scare for cross-infection with mild symptoms or hardly go to hospital if encountered a temporary lockdown or quarantine. Some Chinese practice self-treatment of cough, headache and sputum production by inhalation of volatile chemicals from onion and garlic. Author used to take the same alternative approach of inhalation of onion, garlic or scallions for self-treatment when suffered virus caused flu with cough, headache and sputum production at onset disease. In this article, the biomedical effects of onion and garlic are reviewed. To help patients with mild symptoms of virus infected Flu, a simple home-based treatment was suggested to self-treatment because of temporary isolation and hardly going to hospitalization. The alternative approach may also suggest for some mild virus infected respiratory diseases caused by virus at onset disease.

A 'little brother' of pain, itch is an unpleasant sensation that creates a specific urge to scratch. To date, various machine-learning based image classifiers (MBICs) have been proposed for quantitative analysis of itch-induced scratch behaviour of laboratory animals in an automated, non-invasive, inexpensive and real-time manner. In spite of MBICs' advantages, the overall performances (accuracy, sensitivity and specificity) of current MBIC approaches remains inconsistent, with their values varying from ~50% to ~99%, for which the reasons underlying have yet to be investigated further, both computationally and experimentally. To look into the variation of the performance of MBICs in automated detection of itch-induced scratch, this article focuses on the experimental data recording step, and reports here for the first time that MBICs' overall performance is inextricably linked to the sharpness of experimentally recorded video of laboratory animal scratch behaviour. This article furthermore demonstrates for the first time that a linearly correlated relationship exists between video sharpness and overall performance (accuracy and specificity, but not sensitivity) of MBICs, and highlight the primary role of experimental data recording in rapid, accurate and consistent quantitative assessment of laboratory animal itch.

Invasion ecology has a long tradition of searching for traits distinguishing alien invasive and non-invasive plants. Surprisingly, this approach has been so far poorly used to understand why some arable weeds are abundant and widespread while others are rare and narrowly distributed. In the present study, we focused on the characteristics of successful weeds occurring in maize fields, one of the most import crop worldwide. Two national weed surveys conducted in France were used to identify increasing and decreasing species based on 175 and 484 surveyed fields in the 1970s and the 2000s, respectively. Weed trait values related to regional frequency, local abundance and specialization to maize were identified with Phylogenetic Generalized Least-Squares (PGLS). We found a positive relationship between regional frequency and local abundance, i.e. the most widespread weeds were also locally more abundant. We highlighted that weeds with the C4 photosynthetic pathway and summer emergence were more abundant, more frequent and more specialized to maize crops. More generally, we highlighted two successful strategies: on the one hand, traits related to a general weediness syndrome with rapid resource acquisition (high SLA and Ellenberg-N) and high colonization capacity (seed longevity, fecundity and wind dispersal), on the other hand, traits related to specific adaptation to spring cultivation (thermophilous species with summer emergence, late flowering and C4 photosynthetic pathway). Deviations from the abundancy-frequency relationships also indicated that species of the Panicoideae sub-family, species with Triazine-resistant populations and neophyte species were more abundant than expected by their regional frequency. To some extent, it is therefore possible to predict which species can be troublesome in maize crops and use this information in weed risk assessment tools to prevent new introductions or favor early detection and eradication. This study showed how tools developed in functional and macro-ecology can be used to improve our understanding of weed ecology and to develop more preventive management strategies.

This work presents a linear smoothing scheme over high-order triangular elements in the framework of a cell-based strain smoothed finite element method for two-dimensional nonlinear problems. The main idea behind the proposed linear smoothing scheme for strain-smoothed finite element method (S-FEM) is no subdivision of finite element cells to sub-cells while the classical S-FEM needs sub-cells. Since the linear smoothing function is employed, S-FEM is able to use quadratic triangular or quadrilateral elements. The modified smoothed matrix obtained node-wise is evaluated. In the same manner with the computation of the strain-displacement matrix, the smoothed stiffness matrix and deformation graident are obtained over smoothing domains. A series of benchmark tests are investigated to demonstrate validity and stability of the proposed scheme. The validity and accuracy are confirmed by comparing the obtained numerical results with the standard FEM using 2nd-order triangular element and the exact solutions.

Globally 30% of landslides occur in the northeastern part of India [1]. One of the major earthquake events in Sikkim, India occurred on 18th September 2011 (Mw 6.9) led to over 300 landslides and 122 human deaths [2]. These landslides not only controlled by natural disasters but initiated due to human activities. The present study considered Lungchok landslide occurred in south district of Sikkim due to 2011 seismic event. The study focused on the failure mechanism of the landslide based on finite element analysis by adopting eight different cases. The deformation characteristic was investigated for dry and saturated slope conditions under static and dynamic behavior considering vehicle loads using GeoStudio software. The FEM analysis has been carried out using load deformation and linear elastic. The analysis shows that the failure of the slope was not sudden due to the 2011 earthquake event, but progressive failure was observed with time and construction activity. The paper demonstrates that, an increase in infrastructure development including construction by hill cutting increased the initiation of landslide with soil erosion. The cracks developed after 2011 earthquake event led to further deformations during future disasters required effective stabilization measures.

Abstract：Commuting of residents in big city often brings tidal traffic pressure or congestions. Understanding the causes behind this phenomenon is of great significance for urban space optimization. Various spatial big data make possible the fine description of urban residents travel behaviors, and bring new approaches to related studies. The present study focuses on two aspects: one is to obtain relatively accurate features of commuting behaviors by using mobile phone data, and the other is to simulate commuting behaviors of residents through the agent-based model and inducing backward the causes of congestion. Taking the Baishazhou area of Wuhan, a local area of a mega city in China, as a case study, travel behaviors of commuters are simulated: the spatial context of the model is set up using the existing urban road network and by dividing the area into travel units; then using the mobile phone call detail records (CDR) of a month, statistics of residents' travel during the four time slots in working day mornings are acquired and then used to generated the OD matrix of travels at different time slots; and then the data are imported into the model for simulation. By the preset rules of congestion, the agent-based model can effectively simulate the traffic conditions of each traffic intersection, and can also induce backward the causes of traffic congestion using the simulation results and the OD matrix. Finally, the model is used for the evaluation of road network optimization, which shows evident effects of the optimizing measures adopted in relieving congestion, and thus also proves the value of this method in urban studies.

This paper presents a brief account and rationale for implementation of competency-based learning in any form of management and leadership development programmes in South Africa. The fact that competency-based learning (CBL), also known as outcomes-based learning has been scrapped from the schooling system in South Africa is unfortunate as this method enhances critical thinking skills and practical problem-solving skills. This paper presents CBL as a model of meta-cognitive approach to learning that integrates both theory and practice into experiential learning through six dimensions, namely, active learning, constructive learning, cumulative learning, goal-oriented learning, learner-centred and curriculum design strategies. In the advent of the fast-paced global economy, managers and leaders need to seek those business schools that value real-time practical approach to curriculum for relevance and to maximize shareholder value through human resource development. This brief presentation ends by recommending an approach through CBL that fosters three critical pillars of leadership development, namely: intellectual, behavioural and emotional agenda.

Hang-ju was one of five officinal varieties of Flos chrysanthemum for its edible and potable usage. Besides Flos Chrysanthemum (FL), there were also Bud Chrysanthemum (BC) and Fetal Chrysanthemum (FC) at the early and late stage of buds, respectively, in the consumption market of Hang-ju with higher prices. Whether the quality and efficiency of BC and FC was superior to FL or merely consumption misunderstandings? Three commercial products of Hongxinju, a representive cultivar of Hang-ju were studied with a GC-MS based metabolomics approach, complemented with morphology, contents of moisture and protein and the anti-oxidant activity, to reveal the metabolic alterations of violate components in Hongxinju in different flowering stage and at different processing periods. It revealed that most of the violate components were increased from fresh FC to FL, and the low-boiling fractions, inflammatory methyl arachidonate and air-polluting component of ethylbenzene were declined while the representative components with pungent flavor and cool nature of a-curcumene and (Z,Z,Z)-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, vision improving carotenol of rhodopin and high-boiling fractions were elevated after processed in final FL compared with that in BC and/or FC. Though the content of protein and anti-oxidative capacity of final BC and FC were nearly equal to those of FL, in comprehensive consideration of the representative components related with the efficiency in heat cooling and vision improving, as well as the representative components related with inflammation and air-pollution, final FL was recommended other than BC and FC in the practice of medicine with the yield and quality integrated into account.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine whether and to what extent mood disorders, comprising major depression and bipolar disorder, are accompanied by structural changes in the brain as measured using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Methods: We have performed a VBM study using a 3Т MRI system (GE Discovery 750w) in patients with mood disorders (n=50), namely 39 with major depression and 11 with bipolar disorder, compared to 42 age, sex and education matched healthy controls. Results: Our results show that depression was associated with significant decreases in grey matter (GM) volume restricted to regions located in medial frontal and anterior cingulate cortex on the left side and middle frontal gyrus, medial orbital gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus (triangular and orbital parts), and middle temporal gyrus (extending to the superior temporal gyrus) on the right side. When the patient group was separated into bipolar disorder and major depression the reductions remained significant only for the patients with major depressive disorder. Conclusions: Using VBM the present study was able to replicate decreases in GM volume restricted to frontal and temporal regions in patients with mood disorders mainly major depression, as compared with healthy controls.

Most of the municipalities in the Gulf region are facing performance related issues in their municipal solid waste management (MSWM) systems. They lack to possess a deliberate inter-municipality benchmarking processes. Instead of identifying the performance gaps for their key components (e.g., personnel productivity, operational reliability, etc.) and adopt proactive measures, the municipalities primarily rely on an efficient emergency response. A novel hierarchical modeling framework, based on deductive reasoning, is developed for performance assessment of MSWM systems. Fuzzy rule based modeling using Simulink-MATLAB was used for performance inferencing at different levels, i.e., component, sub-components, etc. The model is capable of handling the inherent uncertainties due to limited data and imprecise knowledge base. The model’s outcomes can exclusively assist the managers working at different levels of organizational hierarchy for effective decision-making. Performance of the key component, assists the senior management to assess the overall compliance level of performance objectives. Subsequently, operation management can hone in the sub-components to acquire useful information for intra-municipality performance management. While, individual indicators are useful for inter-municipality benchmarking. The model has been implemented on two municipalities operating in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia. The results demonstrate the model’s pragmatism for continuous performance improvement of MSWM systems in the country and elsewhere.

Coal combustion in thermal power plants releases ash. Ash is reported to cause different adverse health hazards in humans and other organisms. Owing to the presence of radionuclides, it is also considered as a potential radiation hazard. In this study, based on the surface radiation measurements and relevant ancillary data, expected radiation risk zones were identified with regard to the human population residing near the Thermal Power Plant. With population density as the risk determining criteria, about 20% of the study area was at ‘High’ risk and another 20% of the study area was at ‘Low’ risk zone. The remaining 60% was under medium risk zone. Based on the findings remedial measures which may be adopted have been suggested.

K417G Ni-based superalloy is widely used in aeroengine turbine blade for its excellent properties. However, the aeroengine rotor blade zigzag crown appears early failure frequently, which is because of the wear problems occurring in the working process. Laser forming repairing (LFR) is a promising technique to repair these damaged blades. Unfortunately, the laser formed Ni-based superalloys with high content of (Al + Ti) have a high cracking sensitivity. In this paper, the crack characterization of the LFRed K417G, the microstructure, microhardness and tribological properties of the coating before and after laser remelting are presented. The results show that the microstructure of as-deposited K417G consists of γ phase, γ′ precipitated phase, γ + γ′ eutectic and carbide. Cracking mechanisms including solidification cracking, liquation cracking and ductility dip cracking are proposed based on the composition of K417G and processing characteristics to explain the cracking behavior of the K417G superalloy during LFR. After laser remelting, the microstructure of the coating has been refined, and the microhardness and tribological properties has been improved. Laser remelting can decrease the size of the cracks in the LFRed K417G but not the number. Therefore, laser remelting can be applied as an effective method for strengthening coating and as an auxiliary method for controlling cracking.

BACKGROUND Epidemiological sciences have been evolving at an exponential rate paralleled only by the comparable growth within the discipline of data science. Digital epidemiological studies are playing a vital role in medical science analytics for the past few decades. To date, there are no published attempts at deploying the use of real-time analytics in connection with the disciplines of Dentistry or Medicine. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES We deployed a real-time statistical analysis in connection with topics in Dental Anatomy and Dental Pathology represented by the maxillary sinus, posterior maxillary teeth, related oral pathology. The purpose is to infer the digital epidemiology based on a continuous stream of raw data retrieved from Google Trends database. MATERIALS AND METHODS Statistical analysis was carried out via Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS version 24. Google Trends database was used to retrieve data for digital epidemiology. Real-time analytics and the statistical inference were based on encoding a programming script using Python high-level programming language. A systematic review of the literature was carried out via PubMed-NCBI, the Cochrane Library, and Elsevier databases. RESULTS The comprehensive review of databases of the literature, based on specific keywords search, yielded 491813 published studies. These were distributed as 488884 (PubMed-NCBI), 1611 (the Cochrane Library), and 1318 (Elsevier). However, there was no single study attempting real-time analytics. Nevertheless, we succeeded in achieving an automated real-time stream of data accompanied by a statistical inference based on data extrapolated from Google Trends. CONCLUSION Real-time analytics are of considerable impact when implemented in biological and life sciences as they will tremendously reduce the required resources for research. Predictive analytics, based on artificial neural networks and machine learning algorithms, can be the next step to be deployed in continuation of the real-time systems to prognosticate changes in the temporal trends and the digital epidemiology of phenomena of interest.

We numerically study surface models defined on hexagonal disks with a free boundary. 2D surface models for planer surfaces have recently attracted interest due to the engineering applications of functional materials such as graphene and its composite with polymers. These 2D composite meta-materials are strongly influenced by external stimuli such as thermal fluctuations if they are sufficiently thin. For this reason, it is very interesting to study the shape stability/instability of thin 2D materials against thermal fluctuations. In this paper, we study three types of surface models including Landau-Ginzburg (LG) and Helfirch-Polyakov models defined on triangulated hexagonal disks using the parallel tempering Monte Carlo simulation technique. We find that the planer surfaces undergo a first-order transition between the smooth and crumpled phases in the LG model and continuous transitions in the other two models. The first-order transition is relatively weaker compared to the transition on spherical surfaces already reported. The continuous nature of the transition is consistent with the reported results, although the transitions are stronger than that of the reported ones.

Flow field based methods are becoming increasingly popular for the analysis of interfacial shear rheology data. Such methods take properly into account the subphase drag by solving the Navier-Stokes equations for the bulk phases flows, together with the Boussinesq-Scriven boundary condition at the fluid-fluid interface, and the probe equation of motion. Such methods have been successfully implemented at the double wall-ring (DWR), the magnetic rod (MR), and the bicone interfacial shear rheometers. However, a study of the errors introduced directly by the numerical processing is still lacking. Here we report on a study of the errors introduced exclusively by the numerical procedure corresponding to the bicone geometry at an air-water interface. In our study we directly input a preset the value of the complex interfacial viscosity and we numerically obtain the corresponding flow field and the complex amplitude ratio for the probe motion. Then we use the standard iterative procedure to obtain the calculated complex viscosity value. A detailed comparison of the set and calculated complex viscosity values is made upon changing different parameters such as real and imaginary parts of the complex interfacial viscosity and frequency. The observed discrepancies yield a detailed landscape of the numerically introduced errors.

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) intoxication can lead to the disease botulism, characterized by flaccid muscle paralysis that can cause respiratory failure and death. Due to the significant morbidity and mortality costs associated with BoNTs high toxicity, developing highly sensitive, rapid, and field-deployable assays are critically important to protect the nation’s food supply against either accidental or intentional contamination. We report here that the B-cell based biosensor assay (CANARY^® Zephyr) detects BoNT/A in buffer and various food matrices rapidly in ≤ 40 min, in small volumes ≈ 50 μL, with minimal processing of samples, and is extremely portable (suitcase-sized equipment). BoNT/A was detected at limits of detection (LOD) < 0.075 ng ± 0.02 in assay buffer while milk matrices (non-fat, 2 %, whole milk) increased the LOD to < 0.175 – 0.314 ng. Limits of detection for the assay in complex foods were < 1 ng ± 0.0 (neutralized acidic juices-carrot, orange and apple); < 16.7 ng ± 7.7 (liquid egg); and varied from < 0. 39 – 3.125 ng for solid complex foods (ground beef, green bean baby puree, smoked salmon). These results show that the CANARY^® Zephyr assay can be a highly useful tool in clinical, environmental, and food safety surveillance programs.

Wetlands benefits can be summarized but are not limited to their ability to store floodwaters and improve water quality, providing habitats for wildlife and supporting biodiversity, as well as aesthetic values. Over the past few decades, remote sensing and geographical information technologies has proven to be a useful and frequent applications in monitoring and mapping wetlands. Combining both optical and microwave satellite data can give significant information about the biophysical characteristics of wetlands and wetlands` vegetation. Also, fusing data from different sensors, such as radar and optical remote sensing data, can increase the wetland classification accuracy. In this paper we investigate the ability of fusion two fine spatial resolution satellite data, Sentinel-2 and the Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite, Sentinel-1, for mapping wetlands. As a study area in this paper, Balikdami wetland located in the Anatolian part of Turkey has been selected. Both Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images require pre-processing before their use. After the pre-processing, several vegetation indices calculated from the Sentinel-2 bands were included in the data set. Furthermore, an object-based classification was performed. For the accuracy assessment of the obtained results, number of random points were added over the study area. In addition, the results were compared with data from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle collected on the same data of the overpass of the Sentinel-2, and three days before the overpass of Sentinel-1 satellite. The accuracy assessment showed that the results significant and satisfying in the wetland classification using both multispectral and microwave data. The statistical results of the fusion of the optical and radar data showed high wetland mapping accuracy, with an overall classification accuracy of approximately 90% in the object-based classification. Compared with the high resolution UAV data, the classification results give promising results for mapping and monitoring not just wetlands, but also the sub-classes of the study area. For future research, multi-temporal image use and terrain data collection are recommended.

The objective of the study was to investigate the gap between data and evidence-based decisions among healthcare professionals considering the enormous amount of individual and aggregate data collected. Our study assessed the capacity, skills, and knowledge of the Ministry of Health leadership staff to understand data management, analysis, utilization, and dissemination. Three key components were assessed: 1) Knowledge through true/false questions, 2) Level of Skill (and Competency) using a Likert scale, and 3) Understanding of Key Concepts and Tools based on a Likert scale. The 183 study respondents were diverse healthcare professionals from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Majority of respondents had not received any training on data management, analysis, interpretation, and utilization techniques, further there was a significant difference between those who had received training versus those who had not(p=0.005). The respondents were competent in work-related experiences but lacked skills and knowledge on: data concepts and tools, study designs, and types of data analysis. These findings explain the gap between data management, analysis, utilization, and dissemination among health professional’s cadre. To enhance service delivery and optimal provision of health care, it is imperative to have all health care professionals receive a well-designed training on data management, analysis, interpretation, and utilization.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are increasing the interdependence of transportation policies and the electricity market. EMMEV (Electricity Market Model with Electric Vehicles) is an experimental agent-based model that analyses how carbon reduction policy in transportation may increase number of Electric Vehicles and how does that would influence on the electricity price. Agents are ESCOs (Energy Service Providers) which can distribute fuels and their objective is to maximize their profit. In this paper, EMMEV is used to analyze the impacts of the LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard), a performance-based policy instrument, on electricity prices and EV sales. The agents in EMMEV/regulated parties in LCFS should meet a certain CI (Carbon Intensity) target for their distributed fuel. In case, they cannot meet the target, they should buy credit to compensate for their shortfall and if they exceed, they can sell their excess. The results, considering the assumptions and limitations of the model, show that the banking strategy of the agents contributing in the LCFS might have negative impact on penetration of EVs, unless there is a regular Credit Clearance to trade credits. It is also shown that the electricity price as result of implementing the LCFS and increasing number of EVs has increased between 2–3 percent depending on banking strategy.

Based on Venturini method, it is in favor of the modulation technique for controlling the matrix converter due to only use of the comparison between the duty cycles in time domain and the triangular carrier wave for generating the gating signals and the achievable voltage ratio between fundamental output magnitude and fundamental input magnitude to 0.866. However, even with simple modulation method and achieving maximum fundamental output magnitude, the possible input voltage unbalance conditions accordingly influence on the output performances (more reduction and distortion). Thus, a modified Venturini modulation method is presented in this paper, in order to solve the problems of unbalanced input voltage conditions on the matrix converter performances. The proposed strategy is to satisfy the desirable feature of the duty cycle modulating waves, as generated in the event of normal situation. Up to this approach, it can support either single-phase condition or two-phase condition. Performance of the proposed control strategy was verified by the simulated implementation in the MATLAB/Simulink software with showing good steady-state and dynamic operations.

The future of machine tools will be dominated by highly flexible and interconnected systems, in order to achieve the required productivity, accuracy and reliability. Nowadays, distortion and vibration problems are easily solved in labs for the most common machining operations by using models based on equations describing the physical laws of the machining processes; however additional efforts are needed to overcome the gap between scientific research and the real manufacturing problems. In fact, there is an increasing interest in developing simulation packages based on “deep-knowledge and models” that aid machine designers, production engineers or machinists to get the best of the machine-tools. This article proposes a methodology to reduce problems in machining by means of a simulation utility, which uses the main variables of the system&process as input data, and generates results that help in the proper decision-making and machining planification. Direct benefits can be found in a) the fixture/clamping optimal design, b) the machine tool configuration, c) the definition of chatter-free optimum cutting conditions and d) the right programming of cutting toolpaths at the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) stage. The information and knowledge-based approach showed successful results in several local manufacturing companies and are explained in the paper.

The next future using machine tools will be dominated by highly flexible and interconnected systems, in order to achieve the required productivity, accuracy and reliability. Nowadays, distortion and vibration problems are easily solved for the most common cases by sing models based on equations describing the physical laws dominating the machining process; however additional efforts are needed to overcome the gap between scientific research and the real manufacturing problems. In fact, there is an increasing interest in developing simulation packages based on “deep knowledge and models” that aid the machine designer, the production engineer, or machinists to get the best of their machines. This article proposes a systematic methodology to reduce problems in machining by means of a simulation utility, which recognizes, collects and uses the main variables of the system/process as input data, and generates objective results that help in the proper decision-making. Direct benefits by such an application are found in a) the fixture/clamping optimal design, b) the machine tool configuration, c) the definition of chatter free optimum cutting conditions and the right programming of cutting tool path at the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) stage. The information and knowledge-based approach showed successful results in several local manufacturing companies.

High-quality and large-size single crystals of lead-free Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 were grown using the Czo-chralski technique. The crystals had pure perovskite structure with rhombohedral symmetry and were translucent in the visible and near infrared spectral ranges recorded in the interval 350-1050 nm. The energy gaps determined from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and optical measurements were approximately 2.92 eV. The current-voltage characteristics, depolarization current, dc (σdc) and ac (σac) electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient of the crystals were investigated. The frequency/temperature-dependent electrical properties were also measured and analyzed through complex impedance spectroscopy. An overlapping reversible insulator-metal transition (resistive switching) on nanoscales, caused by the electric field, was detected. This was the first time that most of these investigations were performed for this material. The following conductivity mechanisms of NBT single crystals were identified: (i) quasi-free electron and hole conduction and hopping-charges mechanism at low temperatures, (ii) small polaron conductivity in the middle temperature range, and (iii) a significant contribution of the oxygen vacancies to conductivity in the high temperature range. The activation energy values determined from the conductivity data, the imaginary part of the electric impedance and the modulus indicate that the relaxation process in the high-temperature range is attributable to both single and double ionized oxygen vacancies, in combination with the hopping of electrons between Ti4+ and Ti3+. P-type electrical conductivity was also found. These discoveries create new possibilities of reducing the electrical conductivity of NBT and improving the process of effectively poling this material. The density of the electronic states was investigated using an ab initio method. The energy gap cal-culated for NBT (R3c) was 2.8 eV, and is well comparable to those determined from XPS and optical measurements. Our results indicate the possibility of tuning material properties by inten-tionally creating non-stoichiometry/structural defects (oxygen vacancies, cation excess and cation deficiency).

There were designed and synthesized two new sulfone 2-aminobenzimidazole derivatives. Coordination compounds were obtained with nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) and these novel ligands. There were fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Single crystal X-ray structural analysis was performed on order to study the relevant intra and inter non-covalent interactions, mainly H...π, lone pair·...π, π...π, highlighting the difference between the ethyl and phenyl groups in such interactions. Dimeric and trimeric supramolecular syntons were found for some of these compounds. Their biological activity was investigated, being the copper(II) compounds with the sulfone phenyl derivative the most active.

The broad acceptance of electromobility depends heavily on the performance and service life of the battery technology used. Lithium-ion battery technology is currently the most promising energy storage technology for mobile applications, but the performance and capacity of the cells is extremely temperature sensitive. Especially in these new complex and powerful applications there is a significant need for thermal management. Depending on the ambient conditions, part of the effective battery energy must therefore be used to temper the system. So far, mainly active components have been used for this task. This not only reduces the overall efficiency, but also increases the weight, volume and maintenance requirements of the system. In the present work, an alternative battery temperature management system (BTMS) was developed. A concept based on latent heat storage materials was created, which uses the advantages of thermal energy storage and the design freedom of additive manufacturing technology, and its suitability for use in battery applications was checked. On the one hand, the use of systems for storing thermal energy was researched and, on the other hand, an innovative cooling concept was created considering new production possibilities.

The article focuses on the galvanic replacement synthesis of Ti-Ni and Zr-Ni metal systems with the "core-shell" structure which are potential precursors for intermetallics. The authors defined the effective synthesis parameters and the formation features of polymetallic systems character-ized by granulometric, phase and elemental composition. The X-ray fluorescence and X-ray phase analysis methods showed that the deposition of nickel on dispersed titanium and zirconium leads to the production of test samples with phase composition representing a mechanical mixture of Ni and Ti, Ni and Zr. The method of X-ray fluorescence analysis showed that the presence of hy-drofluoric acid with a 0.5-1.5 M concentration results in the formation of fixed quantitative ratios of elements in the precipitate, which allows the quantitative composition of dispersed systems "titanium - nickel", "zirconium - nickel" to be regulated within a relatively wide range. Scanning electron microscopy proved that all synthesized systems are characterized by a highly porous structure that follows the titanium and zirconium particle surface contour and the presence of spherical nanoscale subunits on the formed particle surface.

While traditional AC mechanical circuit breakers have been competent for protecting AC circuits, high penetration of DC power distribution technologies like DC microgrids (MGs) obligate better disruption performance features such as quick and reliable switch-ing speeds. However, a DC circuit breaker (DCCB) novel design is challenging due to the need to quickly break high currents within milliseconds, caused by the high fault current rise in DC grids compared to AC grids. In DC grids, the circuit breaker must provide zero current crossing and be designed for absorbing surges since the arc is not naturally extinguished by the system. Additionally, the DC breaker must mitigate the magnetic energy stored in the system inductance and withstand residual over-voltages after current interruption. These challenges require a fundamentally different topology for DCCBs, which are typically made using solid-state semiconductor technology, metal oxide varistors (MOV), and ultra-fast switches. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review on development, design, and performance description of DCCBs in parallel with a specific concentration on analysis of internal topology, energy absorption path and sub-circuits in Solid-State (SS)-based DCCBs. The research explores various novel designs that introduce different structures for energy dissipation solution. The classification of these designs is based on the fundamental principles of surge mitigation and a detailed analysis of the techniques employed in DCCBs. In addition, our framework offers an advantageous reference point for the future evolution of SS-circuit breakers in numerous developing power delivery systems.

The dynamic behaviour of a machine tool (MT) directly influences the machining performances. The adoption of lightweight structures may reduce the effects of undesired vibrations and increasing the workpiece quality. This paper aims to present and compare a set of hybrid materials that may be excellent candidate to fabricate the MT moving parts. The selected materials have high dynamic characteristics and capacity to damp mechanical vibrations. In this way, starting by the kinematic model of a milling machine that highlights the main critical factors, this study paper evaluates a number of prototypes made of Al Foam sandwiches (AFS), Al Corrugated sandwiches (ACS) and materials reinforced by carbon fibres (CFRP). A set of prototypes has been fabricated, represented the Z-axis ram of a commercial milling machine. The static and dynamical properties have been evaluated by using both FE simulations and experimental tests. The obtained results show that the proposed structures may be a valid alternative to the conventional materials of MT moving parts, increasing machining performances. In particular, the AFS prototype highlighted a damping coefficient that is 20 times greater than a conventional ram (e.g. steel). The CFRP structure is able to satisfy the machining requirements with a reduced weight of 48.5%, while the ACS prototype showed a good trade-off between stiffness and damping.

The fusion of surface-modified steel with tungsten carbide (WC) and NiCrBSi powder through laser metal deposition has emerged as a formidable strategy for fortifying components against wear and corrosion in extreme operating environments. Meticulous selection of WC content, innovative pre-alloying techniques, and precise control of laser metal deposition profoundly influence the mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of WC-NiCrBSi coatings applied to surface-enriched commercial alloy steel (805M2, 832M13, and 827M40). These tailored coatings exhibit exceptional resilience, ideal for harsh industrial settings in Oil and gas drilling, petrochemical, and Mining sectors. Advanced materials testing techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, light optical microscopies, and microhardness testing, unveil the innate hardness attributes, with findings highlighting the unassailable fortitude of the Mixed matrix layer's side face. The amalgamation of these testing methodologies with laser metal deposition promises an unparalleled path to extend the operational lifespan of critical components in challenging working conditions. The research horizon for WC-NiCrBSi coatings remains broad, with the potential to enhance durability, operational efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across diverse applications.

This paper investigates if the polar groups induced by a plasma treatment can increase the lap shear strength of laser joined metal and plastic hybrids. Optimal laser joining parameters for cold-rolled AISI304 – Polyamide 6.6 and sandblasted AISI304 - Polypropylene hybrids are developed. The OWRK-method was utilized to identify the change in surface free energy of a low-pressure plasma treatment. Plasma treated samples were joined and tested. The fractured surfaces were investigated via light microscopy and SEM. The arithmetic means of the plasma treated hybrids lap shear strength with polyamide 6.6 varied slightly but all measured values were within the range of the untreated samples. The lap shear strengths of the polypropylene hybrids were significantly reduced. This was attributed to an overaging and the development of low molecular weight oxidized materials which lead to a weak boundary layer. No correlation between surface free energy and the lap shear strength could be found.

Coffee processing generates a huge amount of waste which contains many natural products. Here, we report the discovery of a panel novel cell-penetrating and metal-ion binding microproteins designated coffeetide cC1a-c and cL1-6 from the husk of two popular coffee plants, Coffea canephora and Coffea liberica, respectively. Combining sequence determination and database search, we showed that the prototypic coffeetide cC1a is a 37-residue, eight-cysteine microprotein with a hevein-like cysteine motif but without a chitin-binding domain. NMR determination of cC1a revealed a compact structure that confers it resistance to heat and proteolytic degradation. Disulfide mapping together with chemical synthesis revealed that cC1a has a ginsentide-like, and not a hevein-like, disulfide connectivity. In addition, transcriptomic analysis showed that the 98-residue micrcoproten-like coffeetide precursor contains a three-domain arrangement like ginsentide precursors. Molecular modeling together with experimental validation revealed a Mg2+ and Fe3+ binding pocket at the N-terminus formed by three glutamic acids. Importantly, cC1a is amphipathic with a continuous stretch of 19 apolar amino acids, and which enables its cell penetration to target intracellular proteins, despite being highly negatively charged. Our findings suggest that coffee by-products could provide a source of ginsentide-like bioactive peptides that have potential to target intracellular proteins.

Within this work we review the metal coordination effect on the photophysics of metal dipyrrinato complexes. Dipyrrinato complexes are promising candidates in the search for alternative transition metal photosensitizers for application in photodynamic therapy (PDT). These complexes can be activated by irradiation with light of a specific wavelength, after which cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated. The metal coordination allows for the use of the heavy atom effect, which can enhance the triplet generation necessary for generation of ROS. Additionally, the flexibility of these complexes for metal ions, substitutions and ligands allows the possibility to tune their photophysical properties. A general overview of the mechanism of photodynamic therapy and the properties of the triplet photosensitizers is given, followed by further details of dipyrrinato complexes described in the literature that show relevance as photosensitizers for PDT. In particular, the photophysical properties of Re(I), Ru(II), Ir(III), Ni(II), Cu(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Zn(II), Ga(III), In(III), Al(III), Sn(II), and P dipyrrinato complexes are discussed. The potential for future development in the field of (dipyrrinato)metal complexes is addressed and several new research topics are suggested throughout this work. We propose that significant advances could be made for heteroleptic bis(dipyrrinato)zinc(II) and homoleptic bis(dipyrrinato)palladium(II) complexes and their application as photosensitizers for PDT.

This study aims to evaluate the black bullhead Ameiurus melas, an invasive alien fish (IAF) in Serbia, as a bioindicator organism and the safety of natural and aquaculture specimens for human consumption. A set of biomarkers was analysed to assess the bioindicator potential at site exposed to agricultural activities. The genotoxic response was determined by alkaline comet assay and micronucleus assay in fish erythrocytes, and the metal pollution index (MPI) was calculated to assess the toxic element burden on fish. Water quality was evaluated using physicochemical pa-rameters and faecal indicator bacteria, while the sediment was analysed for the presence of pesti-cides. The concentration of metals and metalloids in fish muscle was monitored to assess the safety for human consumption, and the corresponding indices (MAC, THQ, HI) were calculated. All biomarker responses were linked by integrated biomarker response (IBR). Water analyses indi-cated the absence of communal wastewater, while sediment analysis revealed the presence of paclobutrazol, bifenthrin, and cyfluthrin. The IBR showed that June and September had the highest stress index, coinciding with peak pesticide use and precipitation. All indices confirmed the safety of black bullhead for human consumption. This study highlighted used approaches as nature-based solutions to the problem of IAF.

This research paper investigates the impact of psychological interventions on student performance, specifically within the MIT Integration Bee, a prestigious mathematics competition that challenges students with advanced calculus problems. Conducted across multiple high schools in Texas, the study explores how different motivational techniques, including intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, influence test scores and overall student engagement. The research design includes a comprehensive analysis of motivational strategies, encompassing both baseline and reward-based conditions to assess their effectiveness in enhancing student performance. By examining a diverse sample of high schools from urban and suburban areas, this study aims to provide a holistic understanding of the factors that drive academic achievement in competitive settings. The results have significant implications for educational strategies, particularly in the realm of mathematics education, and highlight the potential for tailored motivational interventions to optimize student engagement and achievement. These findings contribute to the broader discourse on educational psychology, offering insights that could inform the development of more effective teaching practices and policies aimed at fostering a conducive learning environment for students across different educational contexts.

Focusing on the COVID-19 period in Japan, this study identifies the effectiveness of a municipal unit-based pricing (UBP) system on household waste reduction through a panel data analysis targeting 770 cities for 2013–2022. It focuses on simple unit pricing (SUP) and two-tiered pricing (TTP) systems as the UBP components. As previous studies have not considered the COVID-19 period when assessing UBP, this study significantly contributes to the literature by providing new evidence. The main findings are as follows: First, SUP effectively reduced household waste during the COVID-19 period, although its effectiveness was slightly neutralized owing to the pandemic environment. Second, TTP efficiently restrained household waste during the COVID-19 period, when people became cautious about their excessive waste volumes beyond the TTP criteria. The study implicates the need to expand the municipal adoption of the UBP system for household waste reduction.

Starting from the objectives of the Nature Restoration Law and the concept of Forest Landscape Restoration, the objective of the following study is to present a methodological approach aimed at identifying areas that are best suited for the implementation of NbS for the improvement of landscape and habitat status in the study area identified by the Urban Atlas of the city of Campobasso (1028.64 km2). Using open data (ISPRA ecosystem services and Regional land use capability), an expert based approach (questionnaire) and a multi-criteria analysis (AHP), the Total Ecosystem Services Value (TESV) index was determined as a weighted additive sum of the criteria (Data) considered. The index was then classified into 8 clusters and the land use “Cropland” was extracted, matching Cluster 1 (740.09 Ha) with agricultural areas with less ES provision to be allocated to NbS and Cluster 8 (482.88 Ha) with valuable areas to be preserved, for a total of 2.34% of the study area. It was then possible to compare the “Forest” areas currently present in the study area with those of a possible future scenario, represented by the areas occupied today by forest with the addition of cluster 1 croplands. A landscape analysis was then conducted: it showed greater dispersion and fragmentation of forest patches in the future scenario but also greater connectivity and thus greater ecological functionality of the patches.

Water scarcity presents one of the greatest challenges of our time. Especially in naturally water scarce regions, the need of additional water resources is rising, requiring innovative and site-adapted technologies. In this review, selected non-conventional water technologies for sustainable water management are strategically evaluated. Focused on a matrix-based assessment incorporating key indicators, the study discusses the availability, applicability, environmental impact, scalability, and economic viability of the selected technologies. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the methodology involves a systematic comparison of technologies for desalination, water reuse, groundwater utilization, agricultural reuse, and unconventional approaches like cloud seeding, dew water, and fog water harvesting. The indicators covering the respective categories are presented in the results. On this basis, the different technologies are analyzed by matrix-based evaluation, highlighting various strengths and weaknesses and providing insights into technology selection based on regional needs. The discussion interprets the findings, deriving implications for dry environments, acknowledging limitations and suggesting pathways for future research. Through a rigorous analytical framework, this study contributes to the discourse on sustainable water solutions, offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers and industries during a decision-making progress.

Background: Although insect-based foods (IBF) have been recently proposed as a way to face climate crisis and starvation, they encounter the aversion from Western countries which perceive fear, disgust, and high risk. The contribution of psychology research to food choices highlighted how decisions are taken not only through reasoned attitudes and goal-directed behavior, but also through more automatic associations (dual-systems models). Methods: In this paper we investigated people’s disposition towards IBF by combining (a) explicit attitudes (as assessed via self-report scales), (b) automatic associations (as measured via indirect measures), (c) intention to taste, and comparing different profiles based on (d) psychological factors, including decision-making style, food neophobia, and trust in science and scientist. A pilot sample of 175 Italian University students participated in the study. Results: The analyses on the general sample highlighted rather negative attitudes. The cluster analysis identified 4 decision-making profiles: “the gut-feeling”, “the suspicious”, “the vicarious”, and “the mind”. It revealed more favorable opinions in “the mind” profile, characterized by a rational decision-making style and high trust in science, and very aversive reactions from “the suspicious” profile, characterized by high food neophobia and low trust in science. Conclusions: The results underline the importance of psychological factors in interpreting people's reactions to IBF and changes in dietary habits based on the decision-making process. They suggest possible strategies to promote eco-friendly diets

This study explores the integration of genome sequencing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods for tracking the diversity of Covid-19 variants in wastewater. The research focuses on monitoring various Omicron subvariants during a period of significant viral evolution. Genome sequencing, particularly using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT), provides a detailed view of emerging variants, surpassing the limitations of PCR-based detection kits that rely on known sequences. This study highlights the effectiveness of combining these methodologies to enhance early detection and inform public health strategies, especially in regions with limited clinical sequencing capabilities.

This study focuses on the development and evaluation of an AI-based digital therapeutic prototype for adolescent mental health management and disaster response. The system integrates real-time monitoring, AI-driven conversation analysis, personalized psychological treatment programs, and multimodal data analysis. An algorithm was developed to detect gaslighting and verbal abuse using a BERT-based classification model, achieving 85% accuracy in gaslighting detection and 87% ac-curacy in verbal abuse detection. Additionally, a disaster psychological recovery support module was included, which demonstrated a 30% improvement in users' stress reduction rates in simulated disaster scenarios. The results of this study suggest that such digital therapeutic approaches can significantly contribute to early intervention in adolescent mental health issues and provide effec-tive support during disasters. The developed prototype demonstrates the potential of AI and digital technology to innovate mental health management and disaster response strategies.

The use of braces equipped with dissipative devices for the seismic strengthening of seismically prone reinforced concrete frames is among the most widespread methods, as it allows for high reductions in seismic vulnerability with inexpensive, quickly executed interventions, which can often be carried out mainly by the exterior, resulting in interruptions of use limited both in time and to only small portions of the building. The design methods of dissipative devices are based on the extensive use of pushover analyses capable of highlighting the structural deficiencies of the building and comparing the performances achievable by developing designs according to different methods and sizing criteria. In the present work, with reference to a case study represented by a four-story spatial frame having characteristics representative of design and construction common practice of the 1970s in Southern European countries, the performance of three different design methods is compared. The examined procedures differ for: methods for estimating the peak displacement response of the nonlinear systems, namely the well-known Equal Displacement Rule and the Equivalent (secant) stiffness and Damping rule; and criteria for distributing stiffness and strength of the bracing along the height, namely the distribution of stiffness and strength proportionally to those of the frame, and methods that vary the stiffness and strength along the height in order to minimize the eventual irregularity in elevation of the bare frame. The effectiveness of the procedures is checked by static pushover analysis and nonlinear response history analysis, performed by unidirectional and bidirectional input. Pros and cons of each procedure are summarized, all of them able to provide bracing designs that meet the performance requirements set during the design phase.

The development of a rapid, sensitive, specific method for detecting foodborne pathogens is paramount in supplying safe food to enhance public health safety. Despite the significant improvement in pathogen detection methods, key issues are still associated with rapid methods, such as distinguishing living cells from dead, pathogenic potential or health risk of the analyte at the time of consumption, detection limit, and sample-to-result. The mammalian cell-based assays analyze pathogens' interaction with the host cells and are responsive to only live pathogens or active toxins. In this study, a human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line expressing Toll-Like Receptor 5 (TLR-5) and chromogenic reporter system (HEK dual hTLR5) was used for the detection of viable Salmonella in a 96-well tissue culture plate. This cell line responds to low concentrations of TLR5 agonist flagellin. Stimulation of TLR5 ligand activates nuclear factor-kB (NF-κB) - linked alkaline phosphatase (AP-1) signaling cascade inducing the production of secreted embryonic alkaline phosphatase (SEAP). With the addition of a ρ-nitrophenyl phosphate as a substrate, a colored end product representing a positive signal is quantified. The assay's specificity was validated with the top 20 Salmonella enterica serovars and 19 non-Salmonella spp. The performance of the assay was also validated with spiked food samples. The total detection time (sample-to-result), including shortened pre-enrichment (4 h) and selective enrichment (4 h) steps with artificially inoculated outbreak-implicated food samples (chicken, peanut kernel, peanut butter, black pepper, mayonnaise, and peach) was 15 h when inoculated at 1–100 CFU/25 g sample. These results show the potential of HEK-DualTM hTLR5 cell-based functional biosensors for rapid screening of Salmonella.

Plug and abandonment (P&amp;A) operations demand valuable time and resources with operational procedures and materials to establish the well barrier element. This study proposes the use of a water-based fluid as a liquid well barrier element for temporary abandonment, based on esti-mates of its lifespan and survival probability on downhole conditions acquired through acceler-ated life tests. For that, the water-based formulation was tested and exposed to 95, 110, 140 and 150°C, for time intervals ranging from 1 to 10 days. After temperature exposure, the fluid prop-erties were verified and failure was detected by accounting for any deterioration in rheological parameters and/or a substantial increase in filtrate volume. Statistical analysis of failure data was performed in R software using Weibull Model, and fluid average lifespan and survival probability were estimated for P&amp;A temperatures. The results obtained demonstrates that the degradation of the fluid only was observed for 140 and 150°C and is mostly related to the CMC deterioration. The reliability metrics shows that until 80°C the fluid is a promising alternative for temporary abandonment, with no need of monitoring. For higher downhole temperatures, theses metrics should be considered to define the maximum time of operation and requirements for monitoring management in the operation design.

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is an underutilized lignocellulosic biomass that has several benefits such as high availability, renewability, and biomass yield. The grass press-juice obtained from the mechanical pretreatment can be used for the bio-based production of chemicals. Lactic acid is a platform chemical that has attracted consideration due to the broad area of applications. For this reason, a more sustainable production of lactic acid is expected to increase. In this work, lactic acid was produced using complex medium at bench- and reactor scale, and the results were compared to those obtained using an optimized press-juice medium. Bench-scale fermentations were carried out in a pH-control system and lactic acid production reached about 22 g/L in com-plex medium, and 26.61 ± 1.2 g/L in press-juice medium. In bioreactor, the production yield was 0.91 ± 0.07 g/g, corresponding to 1.4-fold increase respect to the complex medium with fructose. As comparison to the traditional ensiling process, whole grass fractions of different varieties har-vested in summer and autumn was performed. Ensiling showed variations in lactic acid yields, with a yield up to 15.2% dry mass for the late-harvested samples, surpassing typical silage yields of 6-10% dry mass.

The yield of logging in a forest management area using only the volume variable is not sufficient to assess effective wood productivity. The objective was to evaluate production using different logging variables to point out possible divergences between what was planned and what was actually carried out, in order to indicate adjustments to annual operating plans (AOPs) in the Amazon. The database comes from a community forest management area in the Tapajós National Forest, con-sidering three sources: 100% inventory, AOP planning and the post-exploration report. The pro-duction yield considering the number of trees felled and the effective volume were compared with the AOP planning. The volume estimated by the generic equation was compared with the cubed volume and the commercial height variable was evaluated. Of the 6,267 trees selected, 5,090 trees were harvested (3.2 trees.ha-1), indicating a yield of 85.0% of the estimated volume. Of the 25 commercial species logged, the most representative were: Manilkara huberi, Vochysia maxima, Lec-ythis lurida, Couratari guianensis and Hymenaea courbaril. It can be concluded that the number of trees, cubed volume and commercial height are post-exploration yield response variables and not just volume, as is currently used in SFMPs.

Frailty is a common condition in older adults that negatively impacts health and quality of life. This study evaluated a comprehensive, personalized, and coordinated intervention under the Value-Based Care approach to address frailty's multidimensional nature in older people. It em-ployed a pre-post randomized controlled design, involving frail individuals over 65 years in Valencia, Spain. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 12 months (immediately post-intervention), and 18 months. The intervention included a personalized care plan supported by technology, with monthly motivational follow-ups and plan updates by health professionals and participants. Outcomes were measured using an assessment questionnaire that included the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement dataset for the older population: physical health, physical functioning, general mental health, satisfaction with social activities and relationships, ability to carry out usual social roles and activities, pain, general quality of life, loneliness, physical frailty, psychological frailty and social frailty. The study found signifi-cant improvements in physical frailty, quality of life, reduced health resource use and hospitali-zations, and lower levels of pain and depression/anxiety compared to baseline. The findings suggest further research into value-based care approaches, emphasizing the development and activation of personalized, comprehensive programs for older individuals with frailty.

Cancer cells are believed to be recognized and controlled by the immune system of the host, especially the adaptive immune system. Cancers may be initiated by a single gene defect in stem cells or regenerating cells during the replacement of old or injured tissue cells, and additional gene defect(s) then occur. To compensate for missing proteins intracellular homeostasis systems, such as proteostasis, may work with activation of new genes. The risk or predisposing factors in cancers may be related to the number of tissue cell renewals (the turnover time) and the probability of gene defect(s). Oncological symptoms may be associated with substances that are derived from antigens expressed on cancer cells and those derived from damaged cancer cells with corresponding immune reactions. In patients with cancers or other conditions, inadequate immune components to control these substances may result in chronic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Cancer cells communicate with host cells, including the immune cells such as T cells, for survival and proliferation and may need assistance from immune cells against intracellular infections or physicochemical insults. T cell-based immune therapeutics have been developed and clinically used in some cancers, especially in advanced cancers. We further discuss the oncogenesis, pathophysiology of cancers, and unresolved issues in tumor immunology and reinterpret the effectiveness of T cell-based therapies under the protein-homeostasis-system hypothesis.

Accurate measurement of water vapor is essential for researches and applications of meteorology, climatology and hydrology. Based on the BeiDou PPP-B2b service, real-time precipitable water vapor (PWV) is retrieved with the precise point positioning (PPP) software. The experiment was conducted in Beijing in January, 2023. Three solutions are designed with PPP using the BeiDou system only, the GPS system only and the BeiDou-GPS combined solution. Real-time PWVs for the 3 solutions are validated with the ERA5 reanalysis data. Between PWVs from single BeiDou and ERA, there are a bias of 0.7 mm and a RMSE of 1.8 mm. While for the GPS case, the bias is 0.73 mm and RMSE is 1.97 mm. The biases are less than 1 mm and RMSEs are less than 2mm. Both the BeiDou and the GPS processing performs very well. But little improvement is found for the BeiDou-GPS combined solution, comparing with the BeiDou system only and the GPS system only solution. This may be due to the poor handling of two different kinds of errors for the GPS and the BeiDou systems in our PPP software. A better PWV estimation with the two systems is to estimate PWV with single system at first step, and then to obtain the optimization by Bayesian model averaging.

The rapid evolution of technology has reshaped the global economy, intensifying competition and prompting industry players to embrace innovation for sustained competitiveness. In Indonesia, Business Incubators, overseen by Universities and Provincial/City Governments, are pivotal. However, understanding the determinants of Business Incubator Performance remains limited. This study investigates 24 statement items aiming to uncover the factors influencing Technology Business Incubators in Indonesia, with a focus on knowledge management as a mediating variable derived from a knowledge-based perspective. Employing a quantitative approach, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is utilized to scrutinize these factors' impact on Business Incubator Performance. The findings reveal that knowledge management fully and partially mediates between funding support, government assistance, incubator governance, and Business Incubator Technology Performance. This research offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and stakeholders, emphasizing the significance of funding, governmental backing, incubator governance, and knowledge management in enhancing Incubator Business Technology Performance in Indonesia.

YouTube is a very popular social media platform in today’s digital landscape. The primary focus of this study is to explore the underlying sentiment in user comments on food-related videos on YouTube, specifically within two pivotal food product categories: Plant-Based and Hedonic. Our research involved labelling comments using sentiment lexicons such as TextBlob and VADER. Furthermore, the sentiments of the comments were classified using advanced Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), Multinomial Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and XGBoost. The evaluation of these models encompassed key macro average metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score. Results from VADER showcased a high accuracy level, with SVM achieving 93% accuracy in the plant-based dataset and 96% in the hedonic dataset. In addition to sentiment analysis, we delved into user interactions within the two datasets, measuring crucial metrics such as views, likes, comments, and engagement rate. The findings illuminate significantly higher levels of views, likes, and comments in the hedonic food dataset, but the plant-based dataset maintains a superior overall engagement rate.

Despite the advances in stent design, coating drugs, polymers, the use of intravascular imaging, special devices (such as intravascular lithotripsy, ultra-high-pressure non-compliant balloons, and drug-coated balloons), and improved operator skills and techniques, the problem of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and stent thrombosis (ST) remains a challenge for interventional cardiologists. Atherosclerotic lesions, ISR, and ST, are systemic metabolic chronic inflammatory illnesses with a local manifestation in the coronary vessels. Therefore, we propose managing these systemic illnesses systemically through plant-based diet (PBD) intervention. We explain how PBD intervention can help mitigate atherosclerosis, ISR, and ST. Thus, PBD intervention can overcome biological and epigenetic problems in managing ISR and ST similarly to reversing atherosclerosis. Our team is pioneering the implementation of PBD for cardiology patients who have undergone coronary intervention. So far, the results have been very promising. We hope that in the future, many research studies will be performed to investigate further the role of PBD in decreasing the incidence of ISR and ST.

The PAX8/PPARγ rearrangement, producing the PAX8–PPARγ fusion protein (PPFP), is thought to play an essential role in the oncogenesis of thyroid follicular tumors. To identify PPFP-targeted drug candidates and establish an early standard of care for thyroid tumors, we performed ensemble docking-based compound screening. Specifically, we investigated which pocket structure should be adopted to search for a promising ligand compound for the PPFP; the position of the ligand binding pocket on the PPARγ side of the PPFP is common to that of PPARγ; however, the shape is slightly different between them due to environmental factors. We developed a method for selecting a PPFP structure with a relevant pocket and high prediction accuracy for ligand binding. This method was validated using PPARγ, whose structure and activity values are known for many compounds. Then, we performed docking calculations to PPFP for 97 drug or drug-like compounds with a thiazolidine backbone, which is one of the characteristics of ligands that bind well to PPARγ, registered in the DrugBank database. Furthermore, the binding affinities of promising ligand candidates were estimated more reliably using the molecular mechanics-Poisson–Boltzmann surface area method. Thus, we propose promising drug candidates for the PPFP with a thiazolidine backbone.

Abstract: Lipidic carriers employed for the entrapment, encapsulation and precise targeting the bioactive compounds offer significant advantages to the biomedical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industries. These lipid and phospholipid-based vesicles can improve the solubility, permeation, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and bioavailability of the encapsulated material. As a matter of fact, nano-sized phospholipid vesicles have attained the highest success rate in commercialization among the available drug encapsulation technologies. Nevertheless, developing industrially acceptable products still remains a challenge. Among the main disadvantages of conventional lipidic carriers are their instability in the biological environments, and their sensitivity to changes in the pH, temperature and enzymes. To overcome these problems, the new generation of phospho/lipid-based carrier systems was developed using ingredients from microorganisms living in extremely harsh environments (i.e., archeaeobacteria). The present entry aims to review unique features of archaeolipids and recent developments in their application for the encapsulation of genetic material as well as their role and function as adjuvants and vaccine candidates.

Objectives: The study aimed to develop a deep learning-based edge AI model deployed on electrocardiograph (ECG) devices for real-time detection of atrial fibrillation (AF)-risk during sinus rhythm (SR) using standard 10-second 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). Methods: A novel approach was used to convert standard 12-lead ECGs into binary images for model input, and a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model was trained using data collected by the Japan Agency for Medical and Research Development (AMED) between 2019 and 2022. Patients over 40 years old with digital, SR ECGs were retrospectively enrolled and divided into AF and non-AF groups. Data labeling was supervised by cardiologists. The dataset was randomly allocated into training, validation, and internal testing datasets. External testing was conducted on data collected from other hospitals.　Results: The best-trained model achieved an AUC of 0.82 and 0.80, sensitivity of 79.5% and 72.3%, specificity of 77.8% and 77.7%, precision of 78.2% and 76.4%, and overall accuracy of 78.6% and 75.0% in the internal and external testing datasets, respectively. The deployed model and app package utilized 2.5MB and 40MB of the available ROM and RAM capacity on the edge ECG device, correspondingly. Processing time for AF-risk detection was approximately 2 seconds.　Conclusion: The model maintains comparable performance and improves its suitability for deployment on resource-constrained ECG devices, thereby expanding its potential impact to a wide range of healthcare settings. Its successful deployment enables real-time AF-risk detection during SR, allowing for timely intervention to prevent AF-related serious consequences like stroke and premature death.

In this study, a simple machine learning-based quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed to predict the inhibitory potency (pIC50 values) of FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors, pivotal in treating Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Distinctively, our model leverages an extensive and diverse dataset, 14 times larger than those employed in prior studies within this field, enabling an unparalleled scope of compound analysis. This vast dataset, combined with further exploration of molecular descriptors, enabled predictions of extraordinary precision, covering a broader spectrum of FLT3 inhibitors than was previously possible. The Random Forest Regressor (RFR) algorithm, selected for its superior predictive performance, was trained with 1080 inputs and validated through comprehensive external and internal methods. It achieved an remarkable coefficient of determination (R^2) of 0.941 and a standard deviation of 0.235 on a test set of 270 compounds, highlighting the efficacy of model in predicting FLT3 inhibitory activity. Key molecular descriptors were identified, enhancing our understanding of structural requirements for inhibitor potency. Additionally, we developed a user-friendly computational tool that enables the rapid prediction of pIC50 values. Utilizing this tool, potential FLT3 inhibitors were identified through ligand-based virtual screening. This study represents a major advancement in FLT3 inhibitor discovery by utilizing a simple QSAR-machine learning model. It enables more efficient and precise identification of potential drug candidates at an early stage, promising a faster development of targeted therapies and streamlining the ligand-based drug design process.

The need for industrial and commercial machinery to maintain high torque while accurately following a variable angular speed is increasing. To meet this demand, induction motors (IMs) are commonly used with variable speed drives (VSDs) that employ a field-oriented control (FOC) scheme. Over the last thirty years, IMs have been replacing independent connection direct current motors due to their cost-effectiveness, reduced maintenance needs, and increased efficiency. However, IMs and VSDs exhibit nonlinear behavior, uncertainties, and disturbances. This paper proposes a robust combined adaptive passivity-based control (CAPBC) for this class of nonlinear systems that applies to angular rotor speed and stator current regulation inside an FOC scheme for IMs´ VSDs. It uses general Lyapunov-based design energy functions and adaptive laws with σ-modification to assure robustness after combining control and monitoring variables. Lyapunov’s second method and Barbalat Lemma prove that the control and identification error tends to be zero over time. Moreover, comparative experimental results with standard Proportional Integer controller (PIC) and direct APBC, show the proposed CAPBC effectiveness and robustness under normal and changing conditions

Using the potent tools of information geometry (IG), the current research analyses the information geometrics of the five-dimensional HTBFC Manifold. By enabling a unique revolutionary analysis for the performance of Human-Trust Based Feedback Control (HTBFC), the integration of information geometry into HTBFC facilitates the relativistic analysis of the five-dimensional HTBFC manifold. Both the two- and three-dimensional manifold subcases are investigated. This work provides a ground-breaking approach to IG unification of Human- Machine Interactions (HMIs). Some potential applications of HTBFC to robotics are presented.Conclusions are provided, along with some emerging open problems and recommendations for future research.

The task of human action recognition (HAR) based on skeleton data is a challenging yet crucial technique owing to its wide-ranging applications in numerous domains, including patient monitoring, security surveillance, and observation of human-machine interactions. While numerous algorithms have been proposed in an attempt to distinguish between a myriad of activities, most practical applications necessitate highly accurate detection of specific activity types. This study proposes a novel and highly accurate spatiotemporal graph autoencoder network for HAR based on skeleton data. Furthermore, an extensive investigation was conducted employing diverse modalities. To this end, a spatiotemporal graph autoencoder was constructed to automatically learn both spatial and temporal patterns from human skeleton datasets. The powerful graph convolutional network, designated as GA-GCN, developed in this study, notably outperforms the majority of existing state-of-the-art methods when evaluated on two common datasets, namely NTU RGB+D and NTU RGB+D 120. On the first dataset, the proposed approach achieved accuracies of 92.3\% and 96.8\% for the cross-subject and cross-view evaluations, respectively. On the more challenging NTU RGB+D 120 dataset, GA-GCN attained accuracies of 88.8\% and 90.4\% for the cross-subject and cross-set evaluations, respectively.

AbstractBackground: Empowering Communities, Combating HIV/AIDS: The Indispensable Role of Community-Based Strategies in Awareness and PreventionObjective: Highlight the significance of community-based approaches in addressing the ongoing HIV/AIDS pandemic through enhanced awareness, reduced stigma, and effective prevention measures.Method: This article provides a theoretical analysis of community-based HIV/AIDS interventions, drawing upon key strategies and successful examples from diverse settings.Results: Community-based initiatives emerge as critical factors in empowering individuals and communities to take ownership of their health. Through culturally-sensitive education, accessible testing, and comprehensive support services, these initiatives effectively diminish the social stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and promote preventative behaviors. Examples of successful programs illustrate the potential of community-driven approaches to achieve measurable reductions in transmission rates and improved health outcomes.Conclusion: The fight against HIV/AIDS necessitates robust community engagement. Community-based interventions, grounded in local knowledge and addressing specific needs, offer a promising pathway towards fostering health equity, reducing stigma, and ultimately curtailing the spread of the virus. Further research and investment in these initiatives are crucial to ensuring their scalability and sustained impact on global HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.

This study explores the interplay between web-based professional development, teachers' self-efficacy, resilience, and work values in the context of the Davao Region. The investigation reveals significant findings in three key areas: web-based professional development, teachers' resilience, and teachers' work values. The survey indicates that web-based professional development significantly impacts teachers' self-efficacy, with interaction self-efficacy registering the highest mean score. Moreover, teachers' resilience is manifested across emotional, motivational, and social dimensions, with emotional resilience scoring the highest mean. Teachers' work values, encompassing physical facilities, social environment, job security, new challenges, professional growth, personal growth, and interpersonal relationships, all demonstrate high descriptive equivalents. The study establishes a significant positive correlation between web-based professional development and teachers' self-efficacy, as well as a significant relationship between teachers' resilience and their work values. Furthermore, both web-based professional development and teachers' resilience exert a significant influence on teachers' work values.The conclusions drawn from the study highlight the prominence of web-based professional development, teachers' resilience, and work values in the educational landscape of the Davao Region. The findings underscore the interconnectedness of these factors and their crucial role in shaping the teaching profession. In light of these results, recommendations are made to inform policy decisions and enhance professional development programs for teachers in the region. The study encourages a holistic understanding of the relationships between web-based professional development, self-efficacy, resilience, and work values, aiming to contribute to the continuous improvement of education quality in the Davao Region. Additionally, future research is suggested to delve deeper into specific aspects of teachers' general self-efficacy, social resilience, and interpersonal relationships for a more comprehensive understanding.

This study addressed the need for efficient data collection in micro-mobility using low-end hardware, focusing on developing a system capable of handling large real-time data streams. We proposed a novel data collection system that leverages incremental learning techniques, enabling AI-based services for micro-mobility passengers through smartphones. Our approach utilizes 3-axis acceleration sensors integrated into micro-mobility devices, collecting motion data in real-time. This data is processed through an incremental learning pre-processing server, employing the Broad Learning System algorithm, to ensure robust performance in noisy, real-world environments. The use of incremental learning is pivotal, allowing our system to adapt continuously to new data, enhancing the accuracy and relevance of the AI services provided to passengers. This research not only advances the technical capabilities in micro-mobility data handling but also has the potential to enhance the overall passenger experience through improved AI-based services.

Violence against women or gender-based violence (GBV) is a major public health issue facing women and girls in different settings and is reported to have worsened globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on increased violence against women in general, which has been reported in many settings globally, there is a paucity of evidence of its impact on violence against highly vulnerable women living with HIV or tuberculosis (TB). Using a qualitative design, this study aimed to explore the views and experiences of women living with HIV (n=19) or TB (n=23) in Timor Leste regarding the GBV they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were recruited using the snowballing sampling technique. Data were collected using one-on-one in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The five steps of qualitative data analysis suggested in Ritchie and Spencer’s analysis framework were employed to guide the analysis of the findings. Findings indicated that women in this study experienced intensified physical, verbal, sexual and psychological violence by their partners, spouses, in-laws, and parents or other family members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several prominent risk factors that worsened violence against women during the pandemic were (i) HIV or TB-positive status, (ii) traditional gender roles or responsibilities and expectations, (iii) economic and financial difficulties reflected in the loss of jobs and incomes due to the pandemic, and (iv) individual factors such as jealousy and increased alcohol drinking developed during the lockdowns. The findings underscore the urgent need for multifaceted interventions to address GBV, which should encompass challenging traditional gender norms, addressing economic inequalities, and targeting individual-level risk factors. The findings also indicate the need for the development of robust monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the effectiveness of policies and interventions addressing GBV where the results can inform future improvement. The findings also indicate the need to include GBV in the protocol or guidelines for HIV and TB management. Future large-scale quantitative studies to capture the magnitude and specific drivers of GBV against women living with HIV and TB during the pandemic are recommended.

Natural fibers have attracted increasing interest as an alternative to produce environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. Particularly, hemp fibers have revealed to be widely used in various industrial applications due to their extremely unique properties. However, hemp can generate a large amount of agro-waste, and results in an attractive source of biopolymers for the development of low-cost materials in alternative to the raw materials and conventional petroleum-based plastics. In addition, deep eutectic solvents (DESs), a new type of truly green solvents, have been tested to remove gums, lignin, and other non-cellulosic components from hemp fibers. Reusing these components dissolved into the DESs to fabricate new materials directly by electrospinning is a very attractive but still unexplored endeavor. Thus, this innovative research to venture new upcycling pathways is focused on the fabrication of composite nanofibers by electrospinning of a gel-based blend of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and hemp agro-waste (HW) dissolved into choline chloride (ChCl) : Glycerol (1:2) and ChCl : Urea (1:2) DES mixtures. The results obtained revealed that the produced nanofibers displayed uniform appearance with diameters ranging from 257.72 ± 65.63 nm to 380.78 ± 133.98 nm. In addition, the mechanical properties of the electro-spun composite nanofibers produced from the gel-based blends of HW dissolved in DESs and PVA (HW-DESs_PVA) were found to be superior, resulting in an enhanced tensile strength and Young’s modulus. Furthermore, the incorporation of HW into the nanofibers was able to provide bioactive antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Overall, this study demonstrated a promising, more sustainable, and eco-friendly way to produce electrospun composite nanofibers using HW in a circular economy perspective.

As drone technology is rapidly becoming accessible to school children in terms of both low cost and ease-of-use, primary and secondary school teachers are beginning to consider where modern drones can play an important role in schooling. To date, there is very little empirical education research printed in the education research literature guiding innovative curriculum developers in the incipient domain of drone education. As a result, teachers interested in including emerging technologies in their classrooms are often at a loss of where to begin. Through clinical interviews with schoolteachers in the United States, our study identified five readily accessible “departure points” to include drones in contemporary STEM &amp; vocational technology (CTE) school classrooms that help teachers address common curricular goals. Taken together, these interviews reveal that teachers using drones follow one of several distinct pathways as a first step toward achieving a widespread goal of teaching students to use modern technologies to construct, pursue, and communicate findings of fruitful research inquiries—the prevalence of which is not reflected in a comprehensive literature review. The five pathways for starting a successful drone education emerging from the interview data as dominant were: timed-racing trials; precision-flight obstacle courses; computer coding; videography; and domain-specific knowledge of drone operations laws and ethics.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) rapidly develop globally to address societal challenges and provide human well-being and biodiversity. Watershed restoration plays an essential role in enhancing the ecological and socio-economic benefits of the region. The design and implementation of watershed restoration projects play a crucial role in their effectiveness, and NbS has been applied as a concept in ecosystem-related projects. This paper provides an idea to evaluate the design or implementation of watershed restoration projects based on the eight criteria proposed by the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-Based Solutions and to adjust the projects based on the evaluation results. The aim is to standardize the implementation process of watershed restoration projects to achieve more significant benefits and practically apply the concept of NbS in watershed restoration. implementation scheme of the Shan-Shui Initiative in the Jiulong River Watershed and concludes that the method is feasible in evaluating and improving the design and implementation scheme of ecological restoration projects in the actual basin. According to the assessment results, the degree of matching based on NbS for the implementation scheme of the Jiulong River Watershed Shan-Shui Initiative is 73%, which meets the criteria of NbS but needs to be improved in terms of monitoring and assessment, synergistic management, and benefit trade-offs.

The port environments have some structures that still need regular control. However, the nature of these environments presents a number of challenges in determining an accurate vehicle position and consequently performing successful image similarity detection. These scenarios, however, can have poor visibility conditions and are highly dynamic, making place recognition difficult because the appearance of a place can change over time. Under these operational conditions, imaging sonars are a promising solution. There are some factors that affect the quality of the captured images, but the fact that they do not suffer from haze is a plus. Therefore, in this paper, a purely acoustic similarity detection method based on forward-looking sonar (FLS) data is proposed to overcome the inherent perceptual problems in a port scenario. Considering the lack of available data in this context and to facilitate the variation of environmental parameters and sensor configurations, a port scenario was simulated using the Stonefish simulator. Experiments were conducted on predefined trajectories near structures. The place recognition approach performs better compared to the results obtained with optical imagery. In general, it provides a good compromise in terms of distinctiveness and achieves a performance of 87.5% when appropriate constraints and assumptions are made.

This study presents a combined electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy(SKPFM) investigation on the natural passivation process of stainless steels (AISI 316 and AISI 304) and nickel-based alloy (INCONEL 600) as a function of immersion time in an alkaline medium (pH = 13). EIS measurements show an increase in the resistance of the film with increasing immersion time in the electrolyte. After 3 days of immersion, for the three alloys, the films formed constitute an effective barrier to the dissolution of the alloys as shown by AFM and SKPFM. The oxide film growth on each substrates is only influenced by trenches formed during the polishing step and don’t depend on the chemical composition.

Interactions between proteins and ions are essential for various biological functions like structural stability, metabolism, and signal transport. Given that more than half of all proteins bind to ions, it becomes crucial to identify ion-binding sites. Accurate identification of protein-ion binding sites helps us to understand proteins’ biological functions and plays a significant role in drug discovery. While several computational approaches have been proposed, this remains a challenging problem due to the small size and high versatility of metals and acid radicals. In this study, we propose IonPred, a sequence-based approach that employs ELECTRA (Efficiently Learning an Encoder that Classifies Token Replacements Accurately) to predict ion binding sites using only raw protein sequences. We successfully fine-tuned our pretrained model to predict the binding sites for nine metal ions (Zn2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Na+, and K+) and four acid radical ion ligands (CO32−, SO42−, PO43−, NO2−). IonPred surpassed six current state-of-the-art tools by over 44.65% and 28.46% respectively in F1 score and MCC when compared on an independent test dataset. Our method is more computationally efficient than existing tools producing prediction results for a hundred sequences for a specific ion in under ten minutes.

The influence of cuff inflations on nighttime measurements during 24h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements is unknown. We investigated the potential effect of cuff-inflations on asleep parameters using measurements taken simultaneously with a cuffless device using pulse-transit-time (PTT). On the first day of measurement, standard cuff-based 24h BP and cuf-fless measurements were simultaneously performed on right and left arms (CUFF/PTT-D). 1-2 days after the first measurement, the cuffless device was worn alone (PTT-D). Only data from the cuffless device was analyzed. The following mean asleep parameters were analyzed: systolic and diastolic BP, arousals, sleep efficiency, total arousals, arousal per hour and desaturations. 21 in-dividuals were prospectively enrolled. Mean (SD) age was 47(±15) years and 57% were female. Mean systolic asleep BP for the during CUFF/PTT-D and during PTT-D were 131(±21) and 131(±26) mmHg respectively. Mean diastolic asleep BP values during CUFF/PTT-D and during PTT-D were 80(±14) and 84(±14) mmHg respectively (p=0.860, p=0.100 respectively). Systolic and diastolic asleep mean difference was 0.1 (±18.0) and -3.6 (±9.8) mmHg, respectively. There were significantly more total arousals during PTT-D (p=0.042). There was no significant difference seen in sleep efficiency (p=0.339) or desaturations (p=0.896) between the two measurements. We could not show any significant impact from cuff inflations during asleep PTT-D measurements.

This study investigates the cyclic load application impact on fly ash-based geopolymer composites that are reinforced with a low amount of fibre reinforcement. For reinforcement purposes, PVA and steel fibres are used. For testing purposes, four geopolymer composite mixes were made, 3 of which had fibre reinforcement. Simultaneously specimens were tested for shrinkage, static load-induced creep, and cyclic load-induced creep. For static and cyclic creep testing, specimens were loaded with 20% of their strength. For cyclic creep testing, load application and release cycles were seven days long. When each cycle was introduced, the load was added in steps. In 5 minutes, by 25% steps of the necessary load, the specimens were loaded or unloaded. Only plain specimens show that static creep strains are within cyclic creep strains. For all the other specimens, the static load is higher than the cyclic load-induced creep amplitude. Also, 1% PVA fibre-reinforced specimens show the most elastic characteristics under cyclic load, and 1% steel fibre-reinforced specimens appear to be the most resistant to the cyclic load introduction.

A new intervention model for promoting healthy ageing grounded on integrated value-based care was developed and tested in the city of Valencia (Spain). Its implementation raised relevant barriers for older adults in their access to health, health promotion, and health self-management linked with their health and digital literacy. This new intervention model included several aspects. On the one hand, researchers together with older adults and their informal caregivers participating in the study, designed personalised care plans, based on older adults’ specific needs, to be implemented with the support of a digital solution. On the other hand, researchers and health and social professionals implemented a series of six workshops in different locations of the city to encourage the sense of community among participants, reinforcing their trust in the new care model and increasing their adherence. Social activities were at the core of the workshops to understand older people’s interaction with the health and social services provided in the neighbourhood. Qualitative and quantitative methods were combined to extract information from older participants on how to engage them as active actors of their own health and understanding their values and preferences. Qualitative results show that after a post-pandemic situation, they were more concerned about social isolation and desired face-to-face contact with their professional care team; however, feelings of loneliness and/or sadness were not considered amongst the reasons to visit health professionals. Some of the conclusions reveal that the use of technology as a supportive tool is well received but with a stress on its role as “supportive”, and not replacing the close contact with healthcare professionals. Professionals recognised the benefits of this new approach but required more time and incentives to dedicate the effort needed.

Indonesia's government anticipates waste problems by managing them through a large number of waste reduction programs. From a governance perspective in Indonesia, it is known that actors from diverse governmental levels and across sectors are involved in waste management, and their involvement largely depends on their institutional goals and problems. Hence, they are expected to coherently collaborate together by developing and implementing sustainable instruments and resources for improving waste management problems. However, it is necessary to understand how supportive and restrictive the governance of waste reduction programs is to encourage successful trash reduction. This study is designed to evaluate and examine the application of Community-Based Solid Waste Management (CBSWM) in Makassar. In this research, The Governance Assessment Tool (GAT) was applied to analyze the governance context of the waste reduction programs in Makassar qualitatively. From the assessment, contexts can be described as either supportive or restrictive of the processes of implementing public policies on waste management. As a result of such an assessment, this study shed light on some opportunities to improve the governance of waste management implementation's impact on reducing waste in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The conclusion of this study depicts that the most important actors are affiliated with the local government and the community. Moreover, this study shows that the assessment of contextual governance is predominantly restrictive.

Polymer-based composites represent a separate class of materials in demand by the industry. In comparison with other polymers, UHMWPE is characterized by exceptionally high wear and impact resistance. In this work, compacts were produced from UHMWPE GUR 4120 powder with the addition of Nanoscale Detonation Carbon (NDC) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) on a hydro-pneumatic impact device by the Cyclic Impact Compaction (CIC) technique. The obtained samples were subjected to wear resistance test, their hardness and tensile strength were measured. Studies have shown that the addition of NDС and SWCNTs in UHMWPE leads to an increase in hardness by 6.4 and 19.6%, to a decrease in wear by 11.5 and 38.5% and a decrease in the coefficient of friction by 10 and 20%, respectively. However, the tensile strength of UHMWPE decreases by 11.7 and 40.4% and elongation decreases by 11.9 and 30.1% with the addition of NDС and SWCNTs, respectively.

In recent years, in addition to the commonly known wire-based processes of Directed Energy Deposition using lasers, a process variant using the electron beam has also developed to industrial market maturity. The process offers particular potential for processing highly conductive, reflective or oxidation-prone materials. However, for industrial usage there is a lack of comprehensive data on performance, process limits and possible applications. The present study deals with this problem using the example of the high-strength aluminum bronze CuAl8Ni6. Multi-stage test welds are used to determine the physically possible process limits and draw conclusions about the suitability of the parameters for additive manufacturing. For this purpose, optimal ranges for energy input, possible welding speeds and the scalability of the process were investigated. Finally, additive test specimens in the form of cylinders and walls are produced and the hardness profile, microstructure and mechanical properties are investigated. It is found that the material CuAl8Ni6 can be well processed by wire electron beam additive manufacturing. The microstructure is similar to a cast structure, the hardness profile over the height of the specimens is constant and the tensile strength and elongation at fracture values achieved correspond to the specification of the raw material.

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is the gold standard approach for detecting a variety of pathogens either via probe-based or SYBR green detection chemistry. Generally, probe-based detection is more specific than SYBR green chemistry. This report describes work done in using a FAM probe targeting a specific segment of the human KRAS gene for detecting presence and relative abundance of the gene in human gastric CloTest samples. Results indicate ineffective detection of the human KRAS gene in samples that are shown to harbor the gene through a similar qPCR assay using SYBR green detection chemistry. Such observations point to inability of the designed FAM probe to bind to target segment of the human KRAS gene that suggests a region of rapid genomic evolution that require close surveillance in the public health community. Given its rapid genomic evolution, this probe region may be an important region in the human KRAS gene playing critical functional roles in either molecular recognition or other structural functions. Overall, human KRAS gene may be undergoing rapid genomic evolution, and qPCR probes targeting specific segment of the gene may be rendered ineffective in short time clinically, thereby, making SYBR green qPCR assay a more reliable choice.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a palygorskite-based antibacterial agent (PAA) as an alternative to antibiotics on growth performance, blood parameters, rumen fermentation, and rumen microbiota in sheep. A total of 120 sheep were randomly divided into five groups of six replicates with four sheep each. Sheep were fed a basal diet, an antibiotic diet supplemented with 500 g/t chlortetracycline (CTC), and a basal diet supplemented with 500, 1,000, and 2,000 g/t PAA for 80 d, respectively. Supplementation with 2,000 g/t PAA and 500 g/t CTC increased the average daily gain (ADG) of sheep compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Diets supplemented with 2,000 g/t PAA and 500 g/t CTC reduced (P < 0.05) the feed: gain (F/G ratio) in the overall periods. Dietary Supplementation with 1,000 g/t PAA significantly increased albumin and total protein (P < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between growth hormone concentration and PAA supplementation (P < 0.05). In addition, compared to the control group, the CTC group had higher growth hormone concentration and lower lipopolysaccharide concentration (P < 0.05). No dif-ference was observed between the five groups in terms of rumen fermentation characteristics (P > 0.05). At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria was lower in the PAA 2000 and CTC 500 groups than that in the control and PAA 500 groups (P < 0.05). At the genus level, a sig-nificant decrease (P < 0.05) in the relative abundance of RuminococcaceaeUCG-010 was observed in the PAA 1000, PAA 2000, and CTC 500 groups compared with that in the control group. In addition, the relative abundance of Prevotella1 (P < 0.05) was higher in the PAA 2000 group than that in the control group. These findings indicate that dietary supplementation with PAA has ameliorative effects on growth performance, blood parameters, and rumen microbiota, with an optimal dosage of 2,000 g/t for sheep.

The chiral recognition of enantiomers is a topic of great importance. In this study, a straightforward and effective chiral detection strategy was developed for distinguishing between tryptophan (TRP) enantiomers. The approach involved the preparation of a magnetic molecularly imprinted chitosan (MMIC) for the sample preparation, which was combined with a nitrocellulose membrane (paper-based analytical device, PAD) integrated with D-TRP covalently-grafted polymethacrylic acid (PAD_PMA_D-TRP). The discrimination between TRP enantiomers was achieved using AuNPs as a colorimetric probe. Indeed, the presence of D-TRP rapidly induced the aggregation of AuNPs due to its strong affinity to PAD-PMA_D-TRP, resulting in a noticeable color change of the AuNPs from red to purple. On the other hand, L-TRP did not induce any color change. The chiral analysis could be easily performed with the naked eye and/or a smartphone. The developed method exhibited a detection limit of 3.3 µM and it was successfully applied to detect D-TRP in serum samples, demonstrating good recovery rates. The proposed procedure is characterized by its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, rapidity, and ease of operation.

For effective warehouse management, various criteria should be taken into consideration in terms of inventory management, demand, transportation distance, usage area, delivery-waiting times, and minimizing the costs that may arise from them. Because, the purpose of the product assignment problem is to minimize the total transport distance during storage and to reduce the space required for product assignment. However, the storage location assignment problem (SLAP) occurs simultaneously with production planning activities in real life. In this study, an integrated mixed-integer nonlinear (MINLP) mathematical model is proposed, which includes the assignment of products to storage areas and production planning, using the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) class based policy for storage systems where multiple criteria are important. In the TOPSIS class-based policy, weight and waiting time criteria are taken into account, as well as the COI (Cube-per-order index index), which is widely used in the literature. In addition, a decision support system flow has been proposed that takes into account the single criterion, multiple criteria and COI index criteria of the developed model and provides its integration with different product assignment policies. Detailed literature research; It has been revealed that the proposed mathematical model and decision support system flow have the feature of applying an existing field of science to a new problem.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) leads to visual impairment if not treated timely. Intravitreal anti-VEGF drugs have revolutionized nAMD treatment in two decades. We evaluated visual outcomes of anti-VEGF treatment in nAMD. A real-life population-based cohort study. Data included parameters for age, sex, age at the diagnosis, laterality, chronicity, symptoms, visual outcomes, lens status, and history of intravitreal injections. A total of 1088 eyes (827 patients) with nAMD were included. Visual acuity was stable or improved in 984 eyes (90%) after an average 36±25 months follow-up. Bevacitzumab was the first-line drug in 1083 (99.5%) eyes. Vision improved ≥15 ETDRS letters in 377 (35%), > 5 ETDRS letters in 309 (28%) and was stable (±5 ETDRS letters) in 298 (27%) eyes after anti-VEGF treatment. The loss of 5-<15 ETDRS letters in 44 (4%) and ≥15 ETDRS letters in 60 (6%) eyes was noted. At the diagnosis of nAMD, 110 out of 827 patients (13%) fulfilled the criteria of visual impairment, whereas 179 patients (22%) were visually impaired after the follow-up. Improvement or stabilization in vision was noted in 90% of the anti-VEGF-treated eyes with nAMD. In addition, anti-VEGF agents are crucial in diminishing nAMD-related visual impairment.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of death due to cancer. About 30% of patients with PCa who have been castrated develop a castration-resistant form of the disease (CRPC), which is incurable. In the last decade, new treatments that control the disease have emerged, slowing progression and spread, and prolonging survival while maintaining the quality of life. These include immunotherapies; however, we do not yet know the optimal combination and sequence of these therapies with the standard ones. All therapies are not always suitable for every patient due to co-morbidities or adverse effects of therapies or both, so there is an urgent need for further work on new therapeutic options. Advances in cancer immunotherapy with an immune checkpoint inhibition mechanism (e.g., ipilimumab, an anti-CTLA-4 inhibitor) have not shown a survival benefit in patients with CRPC. Other immunological approaches have also not given clear results, which has indirectly prevented breakthrough for this type of therapeutic strategy into clinical use. Currently, the only approved form of immunotherapy for patients with CRPC is a cell-based medicine, but it is only available to patients in some parts of the world. Based on the experience gained from recently completed clinical research on immunotherapy with dendritic cell-based immunohybridomas, the aHyC dendritic cell vaccine, for patients with CRPC, we highlight the current status, and possible alternatives that should be considered in the future.